The One Thing (Shakira song)

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"The One Thing"
Song by Shakira
from the album Shakira
Released21 March 2014
Recorded2013
Studio
  • The Ox (North Hollywood, CA)[1]
  • Estopa Estudios (Barcelona, Spain)[1]
  • Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Barcelona, Spain)[1]
GenrePop rock, reggae
Length3:12
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"The One Thing" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her tenth, self-titled studio album, Shakira (2014). A guitar based pop rock and reggae song, Shakira dedicated the song for her oldest son Milan. Created by Shakira and The Messengers, the song was praised by critics for its catchy melody and Shakira's vocal performance.

Background and release

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In November 2012, Shakira revealed in an interview with Billboard magazine that she had begun writing new material and working with various producers for a new record.[2] The following year, she ended her recording contract with Epic Records and signed under Roc Nation for management purposes.[3] In December 2013, it was announced that Shakira had signed a recording contract with RCA Records, under which the record would be released.[4] On March 21, 2014, the album was released under the eponymous title Shakira.[5] "This album is very close to my heart and reflects a stage in my life", commented Shakira on the album's content.[6] "The One Thing" was the last song Shakira wrote for it.[7]

In November 2020, a fan-made video for "The One Thing" went viral and Shakira shared it on social media. The video consists of clips showing Shakira together with Milan. She showed the video to him, and he loved it.[8][9]

Composition

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"The One Thing" is an anthemic, upbeat pop rock[10][11] and reggae[12] song with a natural, stripped-down guitar-driven sound.[13][14] Its chorus is bright and easy to sing along with.[13] The song features lively hand-claps and foot-stomps that add to the infectiousness of its rhythm.[13] The song has been compared to Taylor Swift's album Red and Avril Lavigne's song "My Happy Ending".[13][10][15]

Shakira wrote the song for her oldest son Milan, whose early life inspired the song.[9] The lyrics talk about how his birth brought "a new dawn" into her life, turning a childhood dream of hers into reality: "You are the one thing that I got right / It's a fickle world, it's a fickle world / You turned the darkness into sunlight / I'm a lucky girl, yeah I'm a lucky girl."[16][12]

Reception

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"The One Thing" has been praised by critics for its catchy, anthemic qualities, infectious rhythms, and personal, endearing lyrics. Mike Wass from Idolator highlighted that the song has "a sunny sing-a-long chorus", "infectious hand-claps and foot-stomps" and that it is "relentlessly adorable and utterly irresistible."[13] ABC News described the song as big and anthemic, and further elaborated stating that it is "built for playing in stadiums."[13] The University News wrote that the song features powerful guitar rhythms that introduce a fresh rock ’n’ roll vibe to Shakira's music and highlight her full-bodied vocals.[17] Rania Aniftos from Neon Tommy considered the song a standout on the album, calling it personal and comparing its sound to Shakira's 2001 single "Whenever, Wherever".[18] Zenaida Gorbea from The Young Folks called the lyrics of the song endearing.[19]

Live performances

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Shakira performed "The One Thing" with Kristen Marlin and Tess Boyer from her team on The Voice in April 2014.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Shakira (inlay cover). Shakira. RCA Records. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Cobo, Leila (4 November 2011). "Shakira Needs to Record: 'My Body Is Asking for It'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  3. ^ Ryon, Sean (20 February 2012). "Shakira Signs To Roc Nation Management". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  4. ^ Cantor-Navas, Judy (17 December 2013). "New Shakira Single Set for January". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Shakira. by Shakira". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  6. ^ "Shakira viene con un disco muy personal". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  7. ^ Redacci\u00f3n (2014-03-24). "Shakira, la cantante más seguida en el mundo viene arrasando este año". Panamá América (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-05-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Shakira publica video de canción que escribió para Milan". diariolasamericas.com (in Spanish). 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  9. ^ a b "La hermosa canción que Shakira le escribió a Milan, su hijo mayor que ya llegó a los 10 años". Publimetro Chile (in Spanish). 2023-01-22. Archived from the original on 2024-09-14. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  10. ^ a b "Record Release Rundown: The Latest From Shakira, Karmin, De La Soul, The Hold Steady and More". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  11. ^ Johnsrud, Erin (2014-04-10). "Music review: Shakira's self-title album has much to like". The Clarion. Archived from the original on 2024-11-14. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  12. ^ a b PERÚ, Empresa Peruana de Servicios Editoriales S. A. EDITORA (2014-03-25). "Escucha parte del nuevo disco de Shakira". andina.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Shakira's 'Shakira': Album Review". Idolator. 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014.
  14. ^ "CD REVIEW: Shakira's new stripped-down, self-titled album – Gene Stout – Music Reviews, Music News, Concert Information". 2014-03-26. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  15. ^ Haggis, Josh (2017-09-07). "Shakira's self-titled album: Track-by-track review". Attitude. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  16. ^ "Milan Piqué Turns 5! See the Cutest Photos of Shakira & Gerard Piqué's Son". E! Online. 2018-01-22. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  17. ^ arts@unewsonline.com. "New Shakira CD sure to make you shake". The University News. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  18. ^ Aniftos, Rania. "Shakira: 'Shakira.' Album Review". www.neontommy.com. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  19. ^ Gorbea, Zenaida (2014-04-01). "Zenaida's Music Review: Shakira's Self-Titled Album". The Young Folks. Archived from the original on 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  20. ^ "'The Voice' Recap: Usher and Shakira Lose Another Artist". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2015-12-27. Retrieved 2025-05-22.