| "La Pared" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byShakira | ||||
| from the albumFijación Oral, Vol. 1 | ||||
| Language | Spanish | |||
| English title | "The Wall" | |||
| Released | October 17, 2006 (2006-10-17) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Epic | |||
| Composer(s) |
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| Lyricist(s) | Shakira | |||
| Producer(s) | Shakira | |||
| Shakira singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "La Pared" onYouTube | ||||
"La Pared" (English:The Wall) is a song written,produced and performed by Colombian singer-songwriterShakira. It was released as the fourth single following "Día de Enero" from her sixthstudio albumFijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005) in Latin America and Spain in October 2006. "La Pared" is a pop rock song composed by Shakira andLester Mendez, who also served as assistant producer. The song garnered positive reviews from music critics, who praised its impactful lyrics and highlighted Shakira's vocal prowess.
"I used to write on airplanes or after getting out of the shower, but now I need privacy to express my feelings."
After theTour of the Mongoose ended in 2003, Shakira started to work on her next album. She rented an estate inAlcalá de Henares,Madrid, Spain, where she wrote many of the songs onFijación Oral, Vol. 1, including "La Pared", "La Tortura", and "Las de la Intuición".[2][3] "La Pared" was initially released on the European CD maxi-single release of "La Tortura" where the acoustic version of the song is featured, and which was released the month before the album in May 2005.[4][5]
"La Pared" is a mid-tempo latinpop rock song. Written and composed entirely by Shakira, the song lyrically explores themes of a fractured relationship, depth of emotions, and moving on from heartbreak.[6] The song also has anacoustic version, in which the only instrument featured is a piano.[7] Shakira performed the acoustic version at the2006 Latin Grammy Awards, with the performance dubbed by¡Hola! magazine one of the highlights of the night, on theOral Fixation Tour in 2006-2007, and atRock in Rio Lisboa IV andRock in Rio Madrid II in 2010.[8][9][10][11][12] An instrumental clip of the song featuring cello as the only instrument was used on Shakira'sElixir perfume commercial.[13] The song is dedicated to Shakira's then-boyfriendAntonio de la Rúa.[14]
"La Pared" was released as the fourth single offFijación Oral, Vol. 1 in October 2006 in Latin America and Spain.[15][16] The music video for the song was released in November 2006.[17] After being released, the single received substantial airplay at the Spanish-speaking countries'Los 40 radio network, becoming their most played song at the turn of the year 2006-2007, and Shakira's seventh top song on the network.[18] The single also reached the top spot on the SpanishCadena 100 [es] AC radio station.[19]
Overall, "La Pared" was positively rated by critics, receiving praise for its powerful lyrics, and for showcasing Shakira's vocals. Mariana Enriquez fromPágina 12 commented that the song sounds likeColdplay but better and that both the main and the acoustic versions of the song are "irresistible" and the song is worth being released as a single.[20] Mariana Enriquez fromLa Nación delineates the song as a "gem with a catchy and desperate chorus", noting the production's similarity to Coldplay's "Clocks", but emphasizing that Shakira's song is "less solemn and simpler", and praises the acoustic version.[21] A review byBatanga Magazine also noted the song's similarity to "Clocks" and discussed Shakira's "detached coolness" while singing about "love's painful addiction".[22] Matt Cibula fromPopMatters reflected that the song has sonic elements reminiscent of those of 1980's music, in particular that ofEurythmics'.[23] In a concert review, Billboard staff described "La Pared" as "slightly jazzy" and commented that she really showcases her vocals while performing the song, while their album review found the song "evocative and powerful".[24][25] Spence D. fromIGN described that Shakira's delivery on the song has "over-the-top theatricality".[26] Hugo Fernández fromLa Higuera called the song "one of the stars" of the album.[27]
The music video for "La Pared" is a live video of Shakira performing the song, accompanied by a piano. It was filmed during two concerts on October 7 and 8 atPalacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico.[28] The video was co-directed by Shakira andCatalan visual artist Jaume de Laiguana.[29][30] The video features Shakira sitting on a stool beside the piano performing the song as the Mexican crowd waves their hands back and forth and holds up lit lighters. The video is also featured on the live albumOral Fixation Tour, alongside another performance of the song filmed in late 2006 for the tour video inMiami, Florida andSan Juan, Puerto Rico.[31]
The music video saw success on the MexicanRitmoSon music video channel, reaching the fourth spot.[32]
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