La Tortura

On April 12, 2005, Shakira released "La Tortura" as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1. The song, a collaboration with Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, blends Latin pop with reggaeton and dancehall, a sound that was still finding its way into the mainstream. The lyrics tell the story of a woman who feels emotionally tortured after her partner's infidelity, only for him to return begging for forgiveness. Shakira co-wrote the track with Luis Fernando Ochoa and Sanz, and produced it with Lester Mendez.

The song became a global hit. It topped charts in Hungary, Spain, and Venezuela, and reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Sanz his only entry on that chart. It also dominated the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for 25 non-consecutive weeks and earned a gold certification from the RIAA for one million digital downloads. At the 7th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2005, "La Tortura" won Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

The music video, directed by Michael Haussman, was one of the first Spanish-language videos to air on MTV. It shows Sanz spying on Shakira in her apartment, with flashbacks to their past relationship, and features Shakira dancing on a rooftop covered in black greasepaint. The video's striking imagery helped the song cross over to audiences beyond the Spanish-speaking world.

Twenty years later, "La Tortura" remains a touchstone. In May 2025, Shakira and Sanz reunited to perform the song, and Shakira included it on her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. It has been credited with helping popularize reggaeton globally, and artists like Gilberto Santa Rosa and Damiano David have covered it. [edit]