"Amarillo" () is a Latin pop ballad 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 ...

, taken from her eleventh studio album, ''

El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions � ...

'' (2017). The lyrics were written by Shakira. The music was composed by Shakira and Luis Fernando Ochoa, with Supa Dups as co-producers, and A.C. and Stephen McGregor as additional producers. The song was certified Platinum+Gold in Mexico.

Composition

"Amarillo" is a Latin pop ballad. Lyrically the song discusses love, adoration and admiration with metaphors employing different colors. It was initially rumored that "Amarillo" was written by Shakira for

Gerard Piqué Gerard Piqué Bernabeu (born 2 February 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is considered to be one of the best defenders of his generation. Initially a talented student athlete at Barcelona's La ...

, her partner at the time, due to the song's lyrics being applicable and being interpreted as referring to a romantic relationship. What fueled the rumors was also the Catalan phrase "t'estimo" ("I love you") in the lyrics, as it is Piqué's native language, and Shakira sharing a video clip of her performing the song on social media amidst separation rumors with Piqué in 2017, to which he replied with heart emojis. The song is also Piqué's favorite. However, in 2023, it was revealed by Shakira's pianist Laura Andrés in an interview that the song is in fact not written for Piqué, but "solely and exclusively" for their son Sasha.

Live performances

Shakira performed "Amarillo" on the '' El Dorado World Tour''. She played an acoustic guitar when she performed the song. The live performance of the song filmed during the tour dates in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

is featured on the live album '' Shakira in Concert: El Dorado World Tour'' (2019).

Reception

Stephanie Penman from ''We Plug GOOD Music'' described the song as "a toe-tapping finger clicking mix of gorgeous penetrative drum beats, clubbed together with Shakira’s exquisite voice". Journalist Pável Gavona praised "Amarillo" as one of "the best ballads in recent history". Alejandro Gómez Lizarraga from ''

Los 40 Los 40 (stylized as LOS40, formerly ''Los 40 Principales'', ) is a Spanish Top 40-themed music radio station that broadcasts current and recent music, primarily focusing on genres such as pop, dance, electropop, Electro Latin, and Reggaeton. T ...

'' called the song "one of the most liked songs" from the album, noting the "very beautiful metaphors related to colors" in the lyrics. Joan Wallace from ''

Latin Times IBT Media is an American global digital newspaper, digital news organization with over 90 million monthly readers, owned by followers of religious leader David Jang. It publishes the ''International Business Times'' and ''Medical Daily'', among ...

'' assessed "Amarillo" as "one of the best titles along", encapsulating the song as an "up-tempo pop track with a great verse and playful chorus". Si Hawkins from '' The National'' compared the song to "

Papa Don't Preach "Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album, '' True Blue'' (1986). Written by Brian Elliot, it was produced by the singer and her collaborator Stephen Bray. In the United States, the song was released as ...

" by

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

, but with a "pumping Europop chorus". A comparison to the Madonna song was also made by Allan Raible from ''

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

'', who additionally depicted how "the song blossoms into much more as it progresses". Chuck Campbell from ''

Knoxville News Sentinel The ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', also known as ''Knox News'', is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett Company. History The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers: '' ...

'' characterized "Amarillo" as "vibrant", with a "Disney-esque anthem chorus". Mike Wass from '' Idolator'' called "Amarillo" a "highlight" in his live album review.

Certifications

References

{{Shakira songs Shakira songs Songs in Spanish Songs written by Shakira Songs written by Luis Fernando Ochoa Songs about parenthood 2017 songs