“Being a songwriter is an accomplishment that I consider equal and maybe even greater than being a singer and an artist,” Shakira said in a statement. “When I was 8 – long before I sang – I wrote to make sense of the world. Every song is a reflection of who I was when I wrote it, but once a song is released into the world, it doesn’t just belong to me, but also to those who appreciate it.
The amount paid for Shakira’s catalog was not disclosed, but the high-profile sale highlights the potential of international catalogs in general and Latin catalogs in particular. Although there have been few significant sales of high-profile Latin catalogs, Hipgnosis announced in November that its acquisition of 42 catalogs from Kobalt included hits from Enrique Iglesias, among which “Bailando” and “Hero”, as well as songs popularized by people like Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and Jennifer López.
In total, Shakira placed 42 songs on BillboardThe Hot Latin Songs chart, with 11 of those reaching number one, dating back to “Ciega Sordomuda” in 1998. The Colombian superstar is 10 (30) more successful on the chart than any other female act, according to data from the MRC, and at 43, she has managed to always stay relevant, constantly releasing new music and collaborations.
Shakira’s catalog gained renewed attention following her Super Bowl performance on February 2, 2020, with her songs winning 20.98 million streams on February 2-3 – up 221% from 6.53. million they earned on January 31 and February. 1. In fact, the most listened to song on February 2-3 by one of the halftime performers was “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira, which captured 3.16 million streams over the two days combined. – an increase of 194% compared to the 1.07 million he earned on January 31 and February 1.
Last year, Shakira also surpassed 30 million subscribers to her YouTube channel, one of 15 artists to reach that number.
“One step at a time, this incredible Colombian woman has become one of the most famous and influential people in the world. What no one should ever take for granted is that she’s one of the most serious and successful songwriters of the past 25 years, having written or co-written virtually every song she has ever had. never recorded ”, declared Merck Mercuriadis, founder of The Family (Music) Limited and Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, in a statement. “She’s a superb creator who has led the charge from what was a huge physical success until now a bigger streaming hit than most of her contemporaries.”
The announcement follows a spate of high profile catalog buys in recent months, with music legends such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Neil Young recently selling some or all of their catalogs from editing.
