Shakira’s ‘Dónde Están Los Ladrones?’ Turns 25: All the Songs on the Album, Ranked (Staff Picks)

See which song on the album takes the No. 1 spot on our ranked list.

Shakira‘s 1998 Dónde Están Los Ladrones? was the album that marked a before-and-after in the Colombian superstar’s career. Her first LP backed by megaproducer Emilio Estefan also cemented Shakira as one of Latin America’s biggest artists of her generation.

The follow up to 1995’s Pies Descalzos, Dónde Están Los Ladrones? is home to some of Shakira’s best songs, including the Spanish-language classics “Inevitable,” “Tú,” “Si Te Vas” and “Ojos Así.” Powered by a wide-ranging canvas of sounds — from rock to pop ballads, mariachi horns and Middle Eastern influences — Shakira’s seminal album is lyrically potent. A troubadour at heart, Shakira lets her emotions take center stage as she sings about heartbreak (“Si Te Vas”), believing in love (“Tú”), superficiality (“Octavo Día”) and young love (“Ciega, Sordomuda”).

The song that gave the album its тιтle was inspired by an incident that changed everything for Shakira. While traveling, thieves stole a suitcase she had filled with lyrics for new songs, leaving her with writer’s block. Once she finally set pen to paper, the end result was her first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart. Dónde Están Los Ladrones? ruled the tally for 11 weeks.

In honor of the album’s 25th anniversary (celebrated Sept. 29), Billboard‘s Latin editors have ranked all 11 tracks on the set. Given that all these songs are classics, it was hard to pick a No. 1 — but see which one takes the top spot on our list below.

Que Vuelvas”

With steely strings, the twang of an electric guitar and an occasional distortion, “Que Vuelvas” takes on a rugged rock quality — equipped with larger-than-life choruses — that has become a trademark of Shakira’s rockerita style. It’s a raw and emotionally-charged deep cut that conveys the internal struggle of wanting someone back in your life, but grappling with the weight of one’s own pride. The repeтιтion of the plea, “Quisiera pedirte que vuelvas, que vuelvas,” is both heart-wrenching and powerful.

“Octavo Día”

A quintessential satirical song, Shakira takes aim at a superficial, classist society that even God wouldn’t want to live in. The sobering lyrics start with her singing that, on the eighth day and after hard work, God went on a trip to outer space, only to come back to a “desorden infernal (hellish disorder).” If God decides to leave, “we’ll have to worship Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton or Tarzán,” she declares. The poignant “Octavo Día” wasn’t an outlier: Shakira has always defied the status quo via her songs and/or music videos.

“Sombra De Ti”

Kicking off with a somber jazz melody, “Sombra De Ti” finds the Colombian singer-songwriter melancholic, vulnerable, and still weeping over a lost love, admitting that “it gets harder and harder to be happy.” Co-produced and co-written by Shakira and Luis Fernando Ochoa, “Sombra” is powered by a soft rock ballad, where Shak’s potent-yet-wistful vocals sadly sing in the chorus: “Your shadow keeps surrounding me … All the words we said/ And the kisses we gave each other/ As always, I am thinking of you today.”

“No Creo”

Kicking off with a somber jazz melody, “Sombra De Ti” finds the Colombian singer-songwriter melancholic, vulnerable, and still weeping over a lost love, admitting that “it gets harder and harder to be happy.” Co-produced and co-written by Shakira and Luis Fernando Ochoa, “Sombra” is powered by a soft rock ballad, where Shak’s potent-yet-wistful vocals sadly sing in the chorus: “Your shadow keeps surrounding me … All the words we said/ And the kisses we gave each other/ As always, I am thinking of you today.”

This song was Shak’s response to thieves who stole her suitcase full of new songs, leaving her with a mental block and no new music for a couple of years after her successful debut set Pies Descalzos. The situation inspired a sharp and critical song addressing a harsh social reality — which ended up тιтling the album. A negative experience turned into a fruitful project that marked a before-and-after in her career.

In the late 1990s, this song played on the radio in a loop. An acoustic pop ballad written by Shakira, “Moscos En La Casa” is the perfect тιтle for a song of spite, in which the Colombian star crudely describes the feeling of emptiness and sadness that a romantic breakup leaves. Although the song was initially released without a music video, a black-and-white clip followed from her live performance of it for MTV Unplugged in 2000.

“Ojos Así”

Shakira plays with fire on her sizzling, hypnotic, yodel-laden “Ojos Así.” With nods to Middle Eastern folk tradition, its Spanish and Arabic lyrics speak of travel from Bahrain to Beirut, and a fervent desire to live in the eyes of a beloved — thus evoking a sense of yearning and wanderlust. The Colombian superstar performed this song at the inaugural Latin Grammys in 2000, donning a slinky red bodysuit amid a ring of fire. The mesmerizing outro cut landed at No. 22 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart and No. 9 on Latin Pop Airplay.