Laundry Service [Washed and Dried]

About Laundry Service [Washed and Dried]

Laundry Service (Spanish: Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, globally released on November 13, 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in English. After the release of her fourth studio album Dónde Están los Ladrones?, which became a success in Latin America, Shakira was encouraged by American singer Gloria Estefan to record songs in English as she believed the singer had the potential to crossover into the English-language pop market. Shakira was initially hesitant to undertake the project, but later decided to learn English well enough to be able to write songs in the language herself. The title of the album was chosen to reflect Shakira's views on love and music. It was also released as Servicio de Lavandería in Hispanic regions in January 2002. Musically, Laundry Service is primarily a pop record but it also experiments with a variety of other musical styles, including Andean music, dance-pop, Middle Eastern music, rock and roll and tango music. The lyrical theme of the album is mostly based around love and romance. Every song on the album was written and produced by Shakira under the guidance of Emilio Estefan. Six singles were released from the album. The lead single "Whenever, Wherever" became an international success and reached number one on record charts of countries like Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Follow-up single "Underneath Your Clothes" repeated its success, topping the charts of Australia, Austria, and Belgium. Both singles charted inside the top ten in the United Kingdom and United States. The third single "Objection (Tango)" became a top ten hit in most countries around the world. Spanish-language singles "Te Dejo Madrid" and "Que Me Quedes Tú" performed well in Hispanic regions, becoming hits in Spain and on the Latin record charts in the United States, respectively. "The One" was a moderate commercial success and became the last single to be released from Laundry Service. To promote the album, Shakira embarked on her Tour of the Mongoose between 2002 and 2003. It was her first major worldwide tour and visited numerous countries and cities. more »