Pies Descalzos

The title of Shakira's breakthrough 1996 album translates to "naked feet," which somehow captures the combination of playfulness and earnestness that marks the music. Recorded when she was 18, Pies Descalzos finds the Colombian singer-songwriter striving to find her own style. The disc moves through dance pop and dance-hall-lite before landing on a convincing-enough guitar-rock amalgam. It's a likable record, but Shakira seemed to acknowledge its weaknesses when she chose only one of its songs for inclusion on the later (and much superior) MTV Unplugged. --Rickey Wright