Gypsy (Shakira song) on:
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On 29 September 2009, Shakira appeared on the '' Later... with Jools Holland'' show to promote her album ''
"Gypsy" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter
Chart Blog also reviewed the song positively and praised its versatility, claiming it manages to be both "conservative acoustic music" and "radical exotic world music" at the same time. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy appreciated the acoustic-instrumentation of "Gypsy", noting it to be "by far the most organic-sounding offering from her ''She Wolf'' LP", but he also felt that the song is not "as instantly infectious as some of her classic singles". Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...
, from her eighth studio album ''She Wolf
''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'' (2009). The song was chosen as the fourth and final single from the album by Epic Records. It was released internationally on 26 March 2010; in the United States, "Gypsy" was released as a CD single on 12 April 2010. The Spanish-language version "Gitana" was released as a digital promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
on 1 March 2010. Written by Shakira, Amanda Ghost, Carl Sturken
Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to ...
and Evan Rogers
Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to ...
, the lyrics of the song describe one's life travelling as a "gypsy
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
". The song draws heavy influences from Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
bhangra music.
Upon its release, "Gypsy" received generally positive reviews from music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
, many of whom complimented its production. The single was commercially successful and peaked within the top 10 of the charts of countries including Germany, Hungary, Mexico and Spain. In the United States, "Gypsy" peaked at number 65 on the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, while "Gitana" reached number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart. "Gypsy" was certified platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
and gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
in Spain and Mexico, respectively.
An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Jaume de Laiguana, and stars Spanish professional tennis player Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal Parera (, ; born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He is currently ranked world No. 2 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has been ranked world No. 1 for 209 weeks, and has finish ...
as Shakira's love interest. The music video also generated a favourable response from critics, and was praised for the chemistry between Shakira and Nadal. Shakira appeared on a number of television shows, such as German-language entertainment show '' Wetten, dass..?'' and ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
'', and award ceremonies to promote the song. It was also a part of the setlist of her Sun Comes Out World Tour.
Background and composition
"Gypsy" was released as the fourth and final single from Shakira's eighth studio album, ''She Wolf'' (2009). "Gypsy" was written by Shakira, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench,Carl Sturken
Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to ...
and Evan Rogers
Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to ...
, and produced by Shakira, Ghost, Lukas Burton and Future Cut. Written in a ballad-like form, the lyrics of the song describe life travelling on the road as a "gypsy
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
". Shakira explained the song, saying "(The song represents my) way of living and seeing life. I've been on the road since I was very young so that's where the gypsy metaphor comes from." Musically, "Gypsy" is heavily influenced by Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
bhangra music, and features instrumentation from the mandolin, banjo, sitar and tabla. According to the music sheet published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
, "Gypsy" is a midtempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
song written in the key of D flat major, with a metronome
A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
of 100 beats per minute. Shakira's vocal range on the song spans from A3 to C5.
The original English version of the song was released worldwide on 26 March 2010. In the United States, it was released as a CD single on 12 April 2010. A Spanish-language version of the song titled "Gitana" features additional lyrical contributions from Jorge Drexler and was released on 1 March 2010, as a digital promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
.
Critical response
"Gypsy" received generally positive reviews frommusic critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. While reviewing the album, Ayala Ben-Yehuda from '' Billboard'' singled out the song as an album highlight and called it "the closest thing to an acoustic song on the album". Fraser McAlpine from the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
felt the song was representative of the entire album, picking it as an album highlight. Evan Sawdey from PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
, however, disliked the concept of the "Gypsy", saying the "metaphors don't work very well" on the song.
The song was nominated for "Top Latin Song" at the 2011 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. Two other songs by Shakira, " Loca" and " Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", were also nominated, and the award was won by the latter song. At the 2011 Annual Latin Music Awards hosted by ASCAP, Jorge Drexler won an award in the "Pop/Ballad" category for his composition of "Gitana".
Commercial performance
"Gypsy" attained international chart success. In Austria, it entered and peaked at number 11 on theÖ3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Tuesdays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as ...
chart, spending a total of 10 weeks on the chart. In the Dutch-speaking Flanders region of Belgium, the song peaked at number four on the Ultratip
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
chart, spending a total of six weeks on the chart. In the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium, the song entered and peaked at number 40 on the Ultratop 50
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
chart, spending a total of one week on the chart. In Germany, the song peaked at number seven on the Media Control Charts
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass ...
, remaining on the position for one week. In Spain, the song entered the Spanish Singles chart at number 47 and peaked at number three, spending a total of 38 weeks on the chart. "Gypsy" was certified platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
by the Productores de Música de España
Productores de Música de España (English: Spanish Music Producers, shortened as Promusicae) is the national organisation responsible for the music charts of Spain. It is a trade association that represents more than 90% of the Spanish recorded m ...
(PROMUSICAE) for sales of 40,000 units. In Switzerland, the song entered and peaked at number 12 on the Schweizer Hitparade
The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.
The Swiss charts include:
* Singles Top 7 ...
chart, spending a total of 18 weeks on the chart. In Mexico, "Gitana" topped the Monitor Latino
Monitor Latino (stylised monitorLATINO) is a singles chart founded in 2003 which ranks songs on chart based on airplay across radio stations in Latin American countries and Hispanic radio stations in the United States using the Radio Tracking Data ...
chart. It was certified gold by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas
Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) (English: Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms, A.C.) is a non-profit organization integrated by multinational and national record companies in M ...
(AMPROFON) after it shipped 30,000 units in the country.
In the United States, "Gypsy" peaked at number 65 on the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, spending a total of three weeks on the chart. On the Hot Digital Songs
The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally starte ...
chart, the song peaked at number 48, and remained on the chart for a total of one week. "Gitana" peaked at number six on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart, and stayed on the chart for a total of 20 weeks. On the Latin Pop Airplay
Latin Pop Airplay (also referred to as Latin Pop Songs) is a record chart published on ''Billboard'' magazine and a subchart of the Latin Airplay chart. The chart focuses on Latin pop music, namely Spanish-language pop music. It was established ...
chart, the song peaked at number one, and remained on the chart for a total of 25 weeks. On the Tropical Songs
The Tropical Airplay chart (formerly known as Tropical/Salsa and Tropical Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine introduced in 1994. The first number-one song on the chart was " Quien Eres Tu" by Luis Enrique. Originally, ra ...
chart, the song peaked at number 18, and remained on the chart for a total of 20 weeks. In Canada, the song peaked at number 80 on the ''Billboard'' Canadian Hot 100 chart, and remained on it for a total of one week.
Music video
The accompanyingmusic video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Gypsy" was directed by Jaume de Laiguana, who had previously worked with Shakira on the videos for songs such as " No". The video stars Spanish professional tennis player Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal Parera (, ; born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He is currently ranked world No. 2 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has been ranked world No. 1 for 209 weeks, and has finish ...
, who portrays Shakira's love interest in the video. When asked about the reason for starring Nadal in the video, Shakira said she "thought that maybe I needed someone I could in some way identify with. And Rafael Nadal is a person who has been totally committed to his career since he was very young, since he was 17, I believe." The music videos for "Gypsy" and the Spanish-language version "Gitana" were released on 27 February 2010. The video begins with Shakira playing the harmonica, dressed in a black halter top and a long black skirt. The next scenes mainly consist of Shakira interacting with Nadal in different ways, such as dancing for him and laying together on the ground. The video ends with the duo sharing a kiss.
The video received positive reviews from critics. Melanie Bertoldi from '' Billboard'' praised Shakira's appearance in the video, saying "the Colombian firebird looks hotter than ever". The ''HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' review of the video labelled it as a "steamy affair". Alek & Steph from OhlalaMag praised the chemistry between Shakira and Nadal, calling it "flirtatious and playful". Jocelyn Vena from MTV praised the video for its "organic vibe" and commented that "while she (Shakira) claims that she's willing to wear her lover's clothes if they fit, she looks much hotter in the sheer black halter top and long black skirt that she sports at one point in the clip". Another review of the video complimented the duo's chemistry and called them both "equally-stunning".
Live performances
On 29 September 2009, Shakira appeared on the '' Later... with Jools Holland'' show to promote her album ''She Wolf
''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'' and performed "Gypsy", along with "She Wolf
''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
" and "Why Wait". On 16 November, Shakira performed "Gypsy" live on the show '' The View'', accompanied by a tabla and sitar. On 24 November 2009, she performed "Gypsy" on ''The Rachael Ray Show
''The Rachael Ray Show'' is an American television talk show hosted by Rachael Ray that debuted in syndication in the United States and Canada on September 18, 2006 and also airs in other countries. It is taped at Chelsea Television Studios in Ne ...
''. On 23 December 2009, she appeared on ''A Home for the Holidays With Faith Hill
Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Hill' ...
'' to perform the song.
On 27 March 2010, Shakira performed "Gypsy" on the German-language entertainment show '' Wetten, dass..?'' in Salzburg, Austria. On 28 April 2010, Shakira performed "Gypsy" on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
''. The same day, she performed the song as a duet with Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cou ...
lead-vocalist Gary LeVox
Gary LeVox (born Gary Wayne Vernon Jr., July 10, 1970) is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for being the lead vocalist of the contemporary country music band Rascal Flatts, and his stage name was taken from the studio-console label ...
on ''American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
''. Shakira opened and closed the performance while playing the harmonica. Shakira also performed "Gypsy" in Rock in Rio
''Rock in Rio'' is a recurring music festival originating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.
Nine incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, ...
Lisboa and Madrid on 21 May 2010 and 5 June 2010. On 15 July 2010, Shakira performed the song at the opening of the 2010 Premios Juventud awards ceremony, along with her smash hit " Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)". "Gypsy" and "She Wolf" were the only two singles from the album to be included in the setlist of The Sun Comes Out World Tour
The Sun Comes Out World Tour (also known as the Sale el Sol World Tour) was the fifth concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, launched in support of her eighth and ninth studio albums, ''She Wolf'' (2009) and '' Sale El Sol'' ( ...
. The song was performed with a "folk lilt" and Shakira's vocals were backed by "accordion, fiddles and the rhythm section".
Usage in media
Shakira guest-starred as herself in the eighth episode of the season four of ''Ugly Betty
''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombi ...
'' titled "The Bahamas Triangle
"The Bahamas Triangle" is an episode from the ABC comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty'', which aired on December 4, 2009. It is the eighth episode from Season 4 and the 73rd episode overall.
Plot
At Mode, Betty pitches a story about Australian swi ...
", which aired on 4 December 2009. The episode featured the songs "Gypsy" and " Give It Up to Me" running in the background. She sang "Gypsy" in a duet with Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
in the twelfth episode of the season three
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
of ''Wizards of Waverly Place
''Wizards of Waverly Place'' is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a teenage wiza ...
'', titled " Dude Looks Like Shakira". In the episode, the main characters of the show, Alex (Gomez), Justin (David Henrie
David Clayton Henrie ( ; born July 11, 1989) is an American actor, writer, and director. He is noted for playing Ted Mosby's future son Luke on ''How I Met Your Mother'' and Justin Russo in ''Wizards of Waverly Place'', as well as starring in ...
), and Max ( Jake T. Austin), are shocked to find out that Shakira is no one but their Uncle Kelbo (Jeff Garlin
Jeffrey Garlin (born June 5, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Murray Goldberg, patriarch of the eponymous family in the ABC sitcom '' The Goldbergs'', and Jeff Greene on the HBO sitcom ''Curb Your ...
), who is abusing one of the magic laws concerning fame and fortune. The episode aired on 16 April 2010.
Formats and track listings
* CD Single ("Gypsy") # "Gypsy" – 3:16 # "Gypsy" (Freemasons Remix) – 3:26 * Digital download ("Gitana") # "Gitana" – 3:26 * Digital download EP # "Gypsy" – 3:18 # "Gypsy" (Freemasons Remix) – 3:26 # "Gypsy" (DMC Radio Mix) – 3:17 # "Gitana" – 3:26Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
See also
*List of number-one songs of 2010 (Mexico)
This is a list of the songs that reached number one in Mexico in 2010, according to Monitor Latino.
Monitor Latino's chart rankings are based on airplay across radio states in Mexico utilizing the Radio Tracking Data, LLC in real time. Charts are ...
*List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Pop Airplay of 2010
The ''Billboard'' Latin Pop Airplay chart ranks the best-performing Spanish-language pop music singles in the United States. Published by ''Billboard'' magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based on each single's weekly airplay.
...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gypsy (Shakira song) 2010 singles Shakira songs Songs written by Shakira Songs written by Amanda Ghost Songs written by Ian Dench Songs written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers Monitor Latino Top General number-one singles Songs written by Jorge Drexler 2009 songs Epic Records singles