On March 25, 2014 Shakira released his self-titled album that reflected his good personal moment at that time in which his relationship with Gerard Piqué She was going through her best moment after giving birth to their first child together. What times those were and so different from those of now!
Before launching it, on January 31, he warmed up by launching a collaboration that left everyone surprised. She and Rihanna they sang together Can’t Remember to Forget You.
“I never thought that Rihanna would decide to do this song because she is so busy… but I embarked on the adventure of sending it to her, to see what she thought of it, and she loved it.. “This is how we decided to enter into this process and this collaboration,” he told Vevo at that time.
pitbull At that time he also wanted to record his song with Rihanna Timberbut Shakira came forward and they were already working together, so he had to change his mind and resort to Kesha.
“It is a luxury for me because Rihanna is one of the most important artists in the worldbut it has also been very nice to know her from a human point of view because she is a person, I think, very simple and very warm with everyone, so it was very nice to work with her,” he added at that time.
Until Britney Spears He sent a congratulatory message to the Colombian: “I am very happy that you and Rihanna have joined forces. I love the song”. Shakira responded with a brief “thank you very much.”
Although on this album, for the first time, Shakira was open to including songs that she had not composed, she put her signature on this one, along with that of Rihanna and that of John Hill, Tom Hull, Daniel Ledinsky and Erik Hassle.
He was also in charge of production tasks with John Hill and Kid Harpoon. Without a doubt, a large team to achieve a great single.
The video
The prestigious director, Joseph Kahnwith a long and extensive resume that includes artists such as Britney Spears, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga either Minogue Kylie, was in charge of the making of this video clip that was recorded in a mansion in Los Angeles. Rihanna had already recorded the images with him for Love the way you liehis collaboration with EminemSo, they knew each other well.
The video was surrounded by controversy from the beginning. Before even leaving, On December 8, 2013, a Shakira lookalike wrote on Twitter that she had been working with her on a video that also featured Rihanna.. The tweet was deleted because the collaboration had not yet been made public. What a leak!
The great controversy
Although the most notable controversy came from those who did not understand the concept and clung to the idea that promoted lesbianism and smoking.
The councilor of Bogotá, Marco Fidel Ramirezopened a campaign against the video, which he described as “disgusting” and asked the government to ban its broadcast, considering that it violated “the moral integrity of children.”
The politician assured that these images sent “a provocative message so that weak and lacking judgment minds are contaminated and induced to practice it“.
Rihanna replied that “a councilman has more important things to do. I would have to start working against poverty”. Perhaps today, ten years later and with all the progress that has been made in this field, it would not have caused such a scandal.
The debate
At that time, ten years ago, this video and its controversy over the images of Shakira and Rihanna so close sparked a wide debate. “Actually, Something like this responds to the enjoyment of the heterosexual male public rather than to the LGBT cause.. If we pay attention to the myth that the classic fantasy of every gay man is to hook up with a straight man, the heterosexual man’s fantasy is to hook up with a lesbian. And, if possible, lesbian chic to comply with the well-known stereotype,” he valued. Pablo Giraldoeditor of Shangay, in a report from El Mundo.
Rihanna and Shakira were not the first, they had the teacher Madonna that the lot had already been given Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera either Miley Cyrusin a hyper-sexualized era, had also kissed one of his dancers.
“After almost 30 years, imitators like Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus (or Circus rather), Shakira with Rihanna etc… have adopted that pose, but in a way so false, so obviously artificial, that it certainly does not shock no one anymore. In my opinion It no longer even serves as a marketing strategy.. The news will be that a pop diva does not make a video with a lesbian scene,” he stated. Silvia Grijalbawriter and music journalist.
A video of great figures
It is true that the images exude sensuality on all four sides and not only through the movements, caresses and so on. The costumes also help. Norma Kamali he made Rihanna’s velvet bodysuit and Julien MacDonald was the Welsh designer who signed Rihanna’s red dress.
The video became the second most viewed at that time. In less than 24 hours it had 17 million views on YouTube. On VEVO it took 9 days to reach 100 million views. There it is nothing.
The one who was also very happy at that time was Gerard Piqué and not so much because of the figures achieved by his partner but because there were no men in the video. “Gerard doesn’t let me make videos with men, he is a very conservative person… I asked him before making the decision to make a video that I knew wasn’t going to sit well with some people. But having her approval made everything much easier,” the singer said at the time.
He also came out a Spanish version, I never remember to forgetbut without Rihanna who, although she had already shown that she was capable of singing in Spanish with Te amo, here she chose to disappear.
The impact of this video clip was so great that at that time dolls were created that replicated the singers with the same costume from the video clip.
A lasting friendship
Ten years have passed and we did not want to forget this great anniversary because it is still a current topic that showed that two greats could do things together, something to which we are now very accustomed, but which a decade ago was more exceptional. Their friendship has continued ever since.
Last year, when Rihanna became the star of the Super Bowl, Shakira rescued a photo from this video clip to send you the best vibes.
