Happy birthday, Shakira: Check out this list of her most memorable tracks

Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, who is also well-known for her sensual belly-dancing, turned 44 today.

Often referred to as the ‘Queen of Latin Pop’, Shakira has given numerous hits that garnered attention from people across the world. Here are some of her most popular evergreen tunes:

Hips Don’t Lie

Released in 2006, more than 14 years ago, ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ continues to be on the list of most-streamed songs. The track, featuring rapper Wyclef Jean, had a title that most listeners couldn’t comprehend but enjoyed all the same.

The singer revealed years later the meaning behind the song’s name. She said in an interview, “The reason why I named that song that is because, when I’m in the studio, I know when a song is ready and it can be taken out of the oven, and it’s exactly when my hips start moving.”

“When my body reacts physically to a song, I know if it’s a dance song, that song is done. So I used to say to my musicians, ‘My hips don’t lie! Are they moving? They’re not moving! So this is not ready.’ And that’s how I came up with it, the idea of the song,” she explained.

The composition, which features Shakira dancing to a catchy tune, comprises a mix of English and Spanish lyrics that talk about physical intimacy. The song is also popular for the video, which has Shakira showing off some of her most iconic dance moves.

Waka Waka

The first song that comes to people’s minds when one says ‘World Cup’ is Waka Waka, the official anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The song recorded history by becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Shakira, in collaboration with Freshly Ground, a South African band, released the anthem on May 7, 2010.

Waka Waka is a slang word from South Africa that means “do it”. The composition also has elements in it that heavily highlight African and Caribbean culture. Shakira’s signature belly-dancing also made the video more captivating.

Dare (La La La)

Having produced an anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that turned out to be a smashing hit, Shakira went on to compose another anthem for the 2014 World Cup in the form of Dare (La La La).

Shakira, Jay Singh, Dr. Luke, Mathieu Jomphe-Lepine, Max Martin, Cirkut, Raelene Arreguin, and John J. Conte, Jr. initially wrote the song as part of Shakira’s album titled ‘Shakira’, which was first named Truth Or Dare (On the Dance Floor).

This was later reworked and released as the official anthem in 2014 under the name Dare (La La La). The song, featuring Carlinhos Brown, and highlights Brazilian tradition.

Can’t Remember to Forget You

Another timeless classic from Shakira is Can’t Remember to Forget You featuring singer Rihanna.

The song’s lyrics talk about yearning for a loved one and how the singer could not “remember to forget him”.

Playing to her strengths, Shakira, this time with Rihanna accompanying her, displayed her sensuality with fluid moves in the video.

The pop-rock composition was released in 2014.

Chantaje

Chantaje, meaning ‘blackmail’, is a piece by Shakira made in collaboration with Colombian artist Maluma. The song was released on November 18, 2016, and became the most successful Latin single piece of the decade in the United States, particularly by a female artiste.

The lyrics in the song indicate a battle of sorts between the male and female singers, with the male (Maluma) unsure of where he stands in his relationship with Shakira’s character in the video.

The piece was also nominated under multiple categories for the 18^th Grammy Latin awards.