Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira has had a considerable impact on the musical landscape of Latin America and further afield. Further to this, her career has seen longevity and cultural reach that has enabled Shakira to be a socially, culturally, and politically influential figure across the world. This has culminated in her receiving the honorific nickname of the Queen of Latin Music. She is considered the most recognizable face of Latin music around the world. With 95 millions of records sold, she is the best-selling Latin female artist of all time. In 2024 Billboard placed her at number 17 on its list of "The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century," being the only Latina to appear on the list.
As of 2018, according to Forbes, Shakira was the most commercially successful woman in Latin music through her album sales, thus making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Vogue writer Carla Ramirez referred to Shakira as the greatest Latin female icon in history and journalist Queralt Uceda from La Vanguardia credits Shakira for being largely responsible for the popularity of Spanish language music on a global level, while others credit her for being the pioneer, popularizing Spanish music and paving way for other artists such as Bad Bunny and Karol G who enjoy worldwide popularity today. She is credited with opening the doors of the international market for a new generation of Latin artists. The journalist Leila Cobo from Billboard said that Shakira "put Latin music on the map" also added that her is "has been the top of Latin music".
Her impact is felt not only through her popularisation of Spanish music, but also through introducing the culture, rhythms, and musical heritage of the Latin community on a global stage. Throughout her career Shakira has been noted for introducing musical genres, instruments, and techniques from across Latin America, the Middle East, and other regions to a wider audience. Various media describe Shakira as an artist who makes Latin American culture visible in across the world and credit her for opening the doors of the international industry to Latinos.
Her legacy and impact have transcended language barriers, popularizing Latin music internationally, and being credited with catapulting Latin music to the international market. Various media outlets agree with popular opinion by naming Shakira as "The Greatest Female Latin Artist of All Time," highlighting her 30-year career and various achievements. She is considered a very influential artist for various artists from various communities. Due to her heritage as a Colombian of Lebanese descent, she is perceived as particularly influential for Latino and Middle-Eastern musicians. Shakira has also been credited as a very influential visual artist, music videos specifically have been named as a point of inspiration for various artists.
Forbes magazine has noted that Shakira's influence "knows no boundaries", whether in the fields of music or philanthropy. This is in reference to her work in early childhood education and advocacy for education as a birthright for all children. This work Shakira began at the age of 18 with the simultaneous release of her album Pies Descalzos and charity of the same name, the Barefoot Foundation in English. Her philanthropic efforts have projected her out of the realm of celebrity and into the space of a real influencer of change, working with various organisations and contributing to a number of initiatives to enact positive social change.
Shakira is one of the most influential musicians in the world and a keystone artist of the genres she has helped to popularize. The Guardian describes Shakira as "the most successful female Latin artist of all time". Shakira has achieved influence that transcends music and has wielded immense social and cultural impact. In 2021, Shakira was named by Kiss FM as one of the most influential female artists of the 21st century, highlighting her achievements in the international market without forgetting her Latin roots. In 2012, she was the youngest figure featured in literature covering "The 100 Greatest and Most Iconic Hispanic Artists of All Time".
Global icon Shakira's appearance on the international market was somewhat different from the other crossover artists such as Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias or Gloria Estefan, who already spoke fluent English. Shakira was a Spanish-speaking South American woman who had to learn English.
Shakira is noted to be a "global phenom" whose impact has "reached every corner of the world". The New York Times credited Shakira for the globalization of Latin music, and described her as the "21st century Latina bombshell." Published by the US Bureau of International Information Programs, the journal Global Issues (2006) cites Shakira as an example of a celebrity "in today's globalized world" who "made it big by sharing the uniqueness of their talent and culture with the global community." According to the official website of Colombia, she is credited as an "ambassador" for Colombia "across borders" with her "movements and unforgettable voice" that have "left a trace on every corner of the world."
In reference to Shakira's "blockbuster" popularity outside of the United States and United Kingdom, Live Nation has remarked that "Shakira's numbers outside the US are crazy stupid" Her popularity prompted Rolling Stone to dub her as "the most popular person on Earth." in 2014 Columnist, Erynn Ruiz considered Shakira "a trailblazer for women and artists all over the globe." El Correo del Golfo describes Shakira as an "artistic link between the west and the east" for popularizing Middle Eastern sounds in the West, and western sounds in the East (mainly the Middle East).
In 2021, it was revealed that "Shakira" is the most popular name derived from Latin or Arab musicians in the United Kingdom in the 21st century. The name ranks 8th overall among "UK's Most Popular Music-Inspired Baby Names."
In the Middle East and North Africa Due to her popularity in the Arab world, Shakira is noted to have directly impacted Middle Eastern and North African popular culture. The book titled "The Cambridge Companion to Modern Arab Culture" by Dwight Reynolds (PhD), Professor of Arabic Language & Literature, by the Cambridge University Press, not only credits Shakira with introducing Middle Eastern rhythms and belly-dancing to the pop culture in the Americas and Europe but also points out the artist's impact on the Arab pop culture. The book names Lebanese singers Myriam Fares, and Nawal El Zoghbi to have echoed Shakira's sound and looks in the Middle East. Similarly, a publication titled Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media published by American University in Cairo Press further asserts Shakira's impact on popular culture in the Arab world. Author Andrew Hammond credits the Colombian artist for impacting and shifting the images of Arab pop stars such as Moroccan Samira Said and Lebanese Nawal Al Zoghbi. Asserting the impact he writes, "[they] have shifted their image and sound in an attempt to follow in her (Shakira's) footsteps".
In India Shakira's multicultural approach of including ethnic dances in her music has allowed her to be a household name in India. Many Indian artists have shown aspiration to follow the Colombian performer's steps in hip-shaking. Many claim that Shakira has popularized belly-dancing in India in the early 2000s. The country and the subcontinent have multiple songs and movies revolving around Shakira. Some of Shakira's biggest hits are remade and translated and used in movies, one example could be Indian composer Anand Raj Anand's remake of the song "Ojos Así" to "Yeh Pyaar Hai" for a Bollywood movie. On 25 March 2007, Shakira finally performed for Indian fans in Mumbai, Maharashtra, at the MMRDA Grounds as a stop during her world tour.
Latin music
Shakira is mostly credited for bringing Latin music to the entire planet by herself, something that only a few artists had achieved, however, Shakira took it to a greater level. She is considered the world's most popular Latin artist, dominating multiple spots on the downloads charts in Finland, Germany, Switzerland, China, and over 35 countries. A survey concluded that Shakira dominates the global reach of Latin music. A 2021 survey conducted by LATFEM, a Latin American feminist organization concluded that Shakira is the most influential female artist among Latin American females and the LGBT community. Also, Shakira's fourth studio album ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? has come out as the most influential album within the surveyed population.
Szendro said, "...many girls were directly influenced by Shakira and I am that generation, in which I felt identified for the first time with someone at that level." The survey also adds, "with age comes the recognition and it becomes very easy to see the legacy and the deep impact that "Shaki" has left." Shakira's third studio album Pies Descalzos also made an appearance on the list. Her introduction of Latin music to mainstream media has been defined as one of her many "revolutionary industry acts." She has shown her Latin heritage to the entire world and this has influenced the sounds we hear today on the radio. According to Marie Claire Taiwan, "[Shakira] introduced Latin music to the international market, sparking a huge boom in Latin pop music in the mainstream English-speaking market and helping more Spanish-speaking singers enter the European and American markets." Likewise, Rolling Stone, Grammys and Billboard credit Shakira for opening doors and paving the way for the new generation of Latin music artists who would come after her. In countries like Germany, she was credited with causing a "musical boom" by increasing public interest in Latin music during 2003. Forbes magazine in a 2023 article credits her with breaking down barriers against new Latin artists in music, including names like Bad Bunny. During an interview with Shakira, Canadian announcer Tom Power expressed that "collaborative artists present on Shakira's album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran would possibly not exist without Shakira. According to writer Isabela Raygoza for Billboard, Shakira is a pioneer in the exploration of Latin genres within pop music. According to Vogue, Shakira is a before and after for Latin American music.
Latin rock Initially a rock musician in the 1990s, according to The New York Times, Shakira was regarded as the "innovator in Latin alternative rock." Rolling Stones Leila Cabo has noted that Shakira in the 1990s with her album ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? was "redefining the parameters" of Rock en español and bringing about the inclusion of women in the genre. Refinery 29 columnist Nicole Collazo Santana has credited the Colombian artist to have "laid out the foundation for Latina rockers.".
Latin pop Generally, Shakira is credited for introducing Latin artists to pop music. The New York Times has named the Colombian artist "The Titan of Latin Pop" for her leading and outstanding output in the genre for more than three decades. A comparative statement between Shakira and her fellow Latin peers was made, calling the latter "polished" and contrasting Shakira's persona which is "raw and unpredictable. Political, abrupt, outspoken, and talented in every way." Public Broadcasting Service recognizes Shakira as one of the fuelers of the "Golden Age of Latin Music" which is credited to have reshaped America's cultural landscape for the twenty-first century". According to the media, Shakira gave "a new status" to pop in Spanish.
Reggaeton