Ciega, sordomuda

When Shakira felt completely overwhelmed by love, to the point of losing awareness of everything around her, she captured that feeling in Ciega, sordomuda. The lyrics describe that total surrender, where warnings become invisible and reason is completely set aside. This piece, released on July 13, 1998, became a key point in her career, being the most outstanding song from her fourth album, ¿Dónde están los ladrones?, and marking a before and after before her foray into the English-speaking market in 2001. The theme resonated strongly in Latin America, reaching the top spot on important charts like the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks, where it remained for several weeks, being her first number one in the United States.

The recording of Ciega, sordomuda featured production by Lester Mendez and Shakira herself, with Estefano Salgado also contributing to the musical composition. The song's sound is distinguished by the incorporation of mariachi, an element that gave it a particular sonority and was widely discussed at the time. The music video, directed by Gustavo Garzón, presented a surreal atmosphere where Shakira is involved in a police chase, even with a real fall during a scene that caused her a knee injury. In 2000, an acoustic version of the song was released as part of the promotion for the live album MTV Unplugged, where Shakira paid homage to Mexico and Colombia. The song positioned itself as one of the most successful of the 90s in Spanish, even reaching a prominent place in lists of the best songs of that era.