“She Wolf” by Shakira was released in 2009 on her album She Wolf. There are two versions of this song, Spanish and English. I will be focusing on the English version in my post. This is a pop song that incorporates various sounds such as electronic beats, violins, and howling. In the song, Shakira sings about a woman who is “domesticated” during the day, but at night becomes a she-wolf. This song narrates the feelings of a woman who feels trapped but is freed through the she-wolf persona. The line “Not getting enough retribution or decent incentives to keep me at it” displays her discontentedness within her relationship. She then sings about being on the prowl to find single men to have a good time with.
This song is “wild” because it is about a woman exploring her “wild” side and feeding into temptation. Women embracing their sexuality and desires is taboo. Under the patriarchy, women are expected to keep their sexual desires to themselves. A woman would be looked down upon by her peers if she openly embraces her sexual cravings. Shakira is reclaiming her sexuality through this she-wolf character. In the first verse, she describes her hunger and sexual desire. She sings, “The moon’s awake now, with eyes wide open my body’s craving, so feed the hungry.” These lyrics openly express the innermost desires of the subject through the she-wolf persona. She also describes sexual liberation through the lyrics from the chorus. She sings, “Open up and set it free (Ah-ooh) there’s a she wolf in your closet. Let it out so it can breathe.” These lyrics are about letting go and releasing one’s inhibitions. The closet is a metaphor for being trapped and being closed-in. The she-wolf character is the personification of the subject being liberated sexually. Overall, I think this song is “wild” because it describes a woman freely embracing her sexuality and willingness to break societal standards.
-Anna Allen
I really liked your explanation of the “wildness” in the song “Release Your Inner She-Wolf.” I definitely agree with you that Shakira’s lyrics of not shying away from your sexuality and smashing societal standards is “wild.” Especially considering that this song was released in 2009, which, even though it was only 13 years ago, the social sphere was much different so I think that the timeline for when she released this is also another “wild” element.
After listening to “She Wolf,” I agree that it is a great example of a song that embodies wildness. I think you gave a great explanation on how part of the song’s wild nature comes from Shakira fighting back against the notion that women should not express their sexual desires. Women who are seen as promiscuous are often slut-shamed or otherwise shunned from society.
I pressed on your post as soon as I saw the title because I LOVE THAT SONG!! It is definitely the perfect example of a wild song because Shakira is talking about embracing her “She Wolf” persona and being sexually liberated, just like you mentioned. I also haven’t seen the music video, so seeing the cage symbolism gives a visual representation of her lyrics. Every time I listen to this song it makes me feel like a Girlboss.