Tú (Shakira Song)
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"Tú" () is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
from her fourth studio album, ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (, ) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Colombia. After attaining success in Latin America with her major-label ...
'' (1998). On the
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
, the lyrics detail the singer offering herself and her possessions to her lover. It was released as the album's second single in 1998 by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
and
Sony Discos Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC (often referred to as Sony Music Latin) is an American record label owned by Sony Music. The label focuses on artists of Latin music. Sony Latin was also a division of the Sony Discos label. History In ...
. Its lyrics were written by Shakira, the music was composed by herself and Dillon O'Brian. Shakira also handled its productions along with Lester Méndez. The track's musical composition was originally intended for an album O'Brian never released. "Tú" received positive reactions from
music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of m ...
s, who praised Shakira's performance. The song was a recipient of a
Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 22.4 milli ...
(BMI) Latin Award in 2000. An accompanying
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
depicts Shakira performing various activities at a room. The song was included in the
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
for the Tour Anfibio (2000), Tour of the Mongoose (2002–03), and El Dorado World Tour (2018). Shakira also performed an acoustic version of the song for her first live album, ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
'' (2000). Commercially, the track topped the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...
and
Latin Pop Airplay Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area around Rome, Italy. Through the expansion of ...
charts in the United States; it also became a number-one hit in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama.


Background

After rising to prominence with the success of her major-label debut album ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' (, ) is the third studio album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music Colombia. Its music incorporates Latin pop styles, additionally experimenting with pop rock elements. Looking to ...
'' (1995), Shakira was introduced to
Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father of s ...
, the most important producer in the Hispanic market at the time, by her promoter and longtime friend, Jairo Martínez. Estefan was renowned for launching the careers of several Hispanic singers, including
Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most ...
and his wife
Gloria Estefan Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
. He decided to work with Shakira as he identified her potential to break into the US
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
market, though one of Shakira's concerns about working with Estefan was creative control over her music. Before signing their contract, the roles and duties were finalized: Estefan would be her manager and executive producer, but she would be in charge of all material and arrangements and have final approval over her records. She later stated about Estefan, "He had a great respect for me as an artist and trusted me totally on this project." Since then, they started working on Estefan's Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, Florida. She insisted on perfection, working on the material to the point of exhaustion. "I made two or three demos of each song. I became a human being so demanding of myself that until the song made my hair stand on end, I wouldn't stop". Equipment for the recording of ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' included old
amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It is a two-port electronic circuit that uses electric power from a power su ...
s to achieve a better sound, a 40-year-old German microphone, and several innovations in the instrumental mixes. ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' took nine months to produce, more than Shakira's previous records since more people were involved on this album. Shakira commented, "To me it's a normal time, the gestation period for a baby. But many people wag their finger and tell me that the next one cannot take so long..." Shakira was involved with the compositions for all the tracks in the album, including "Tú".


Composition

"Tú" was written by Shakira and composed by herself along with Dillon O'Brian. The production was handled by the singer and Lester Méndez. In an interview with Remezcla in 2018, O'Brian mentioned that he and Shakira tried different melodies at his piano, but she was not satisfied with the pitches. O'Brian then asked Shakira to play some of her records, which gave him inspiration. "I said, 'I think I know what you’re looking for,' and I sang a melody. Her eyes just lit up", O'Brian recalled. He previously composed the chorus's melody and chorus for an album of his that was never released O'Brian also recalled, "Her A&R guy, who was in the room, said, 'She thinks she has something that will work with this that she's already written', and that ended up being most of the lyrics of 'Tú'". Musically, "Tú" is a "
steel guitar A steel guitar () is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar i ...
-flavored ballad". In the lyrics, Shakira "gifts" all of herself "from her waist to her diary." The singer chants: "I offer you my waist/And my lips should you want to kiss them/I offer you my madness/And the few neurons I have left".


Promotion and reception

"Tú" was released as the album's second single to radio stations in various countries in 1998 by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
and
Sony Discos Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC (often referred to as Sony Music Latin) is an American record label owned by Sony Music. The label focuses on artists of Latin music. Sony Latin was also a division of the Sony Discos label. History In ...
. "Tú" was included on the
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
for the following tours: Tour Anfibio (2000), Tour of the Mongoose (2002–03), and El Dorado World Tour (2018). In August 1999, Shakira sang an acoustic version of "Tú" during an episode of ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
'' in New York City. The performance was included on her first
live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...
, ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
'' (2000). ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'' critic Mario Tarradell stated that Shakira "ventures into orchestrated ballad territory with majestic results." In a mixed review for ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'', the '' Latin Beat Magazine''s Franz Reynold cited "Tú" and " Inevitable" where "Shakira's naturally sad tones are employed to fine effect". The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' writer Ernesto Lechner notes the artist "showcasing her sly way of combining heartfelt sentiment with a trace of irony." In a retrospective review of the song in 2006, an editor for ''
Latina Latina or Latinas most often refers to: * Latinas, a demographic group in the United States * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America. *Latin Americans Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
'' magazine noted that while its lyrics might make the singer look like a "doormat for the guy", they declared it as a "gutsy, sensual move" as Shakira's voice "sells the message beautifully". "Tu" was listed among ''Billboard''s "10 Shakira Songs That Prove She’s a Hopeless Romantic", and was later included on their list of "25 Latin Love Songs That Make Us Swoon" in 2020. On the former listed, Griselda Flores declared "Tú" to be "one of the best Latin love songs of all time". Commercially, "Tú" topped the ''Billboard''
Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...
and
Latin Pop Airplay Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area around Rome, Italy. Through the expansion of ...
charts in the US. It was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 2000 BMI Latin Awards.


Music video

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "Tú" was directed by Shakira's manager,
Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father of s ...
. It was filmed from the same angle throughout almost all of the video and a
black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
filter was applied to the footage, although a version in color later leaked online. It is set in an open-plan living room and kitchen with furniture reminiscent of the 1960s, where Shakira performs house activities such as inside a refrigerator, shaving her leg, and sitting on a couch. She is later joined by three cellists who leave at the end. The final scene has the camera pan out of the room window and onto the street outside.


Formats and track listings

Promotional single # Tú3:36 Mexican Maxi CD # "Tú" (Dance radio edit)3:43 # "Tú" (Dance Cool radio edit)3:45 # "Tú" (Hip club version)7:00 # "Tú" (Smog Underground Trip)6:54 # "Tú" (Extended Cool Dance)5:04 # "Tú" (Main 12")10:35 # "Tú" (7")4:51 # "Tú" (remix)3:36


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?''. *Edwin Bonilla
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
*Julio Hernández
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
*Alan Kendal
pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...
*Lee Levins
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
*
Lester Mendez Lester Mendez is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning record producer, songwriter and composer. His production/writing credits include a multitude of successful hits with Shakira, Jewel, Nelly Furtado, Jessica Simpson, Enrique Iglesias, and ...
producer,
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
,
string arrangement The string section of an orchestra is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is the most numerous group in the standard orchestra. In ...
*A.J. Niilo
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
*Shakirasongwriting, producer, lead vocals * Dan Warneracoustic guitar *Adam Zimmon
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


See also

* List of number-one ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks of 1999 * List of ''Billboard'' Latin Pop Airplay number ones of 1999


References

{{Shakira singles 1998 songs 1998 singles 1990s ballads Shakira songs Songs in Spanish Songs written by Shakira