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Men in This Town

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"Men in This Town"
Song by Shakira
from the album She Wolf
Released2009
Genre
Length3:36
LabelEpic
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Shakira
Producer(s)
  • Shakira
  • John Hill

"Men in This Town" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira recorded for her eighth studio album, She Wolf (2009). Combining hyperpop, alternative rock and electroclash, its lyrics talk about trying to find love in Los Angeles. The song resurfaced in 2025 on social media, leading up to Shakira promising to perform it for the first time live over a decade after its release.[1]

Background and release

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"I wanted to make sure that this album was very bassy and that the kicks hit really hard, and I wanted to concentrate on the beat. But my music, to a certain extent, is very complex — because I always try to experiment with sounds from other parts of the world."

—Shakira on She Wolf.[2]

Shakira wrote 60 songs for her eighth studio album She Wolf, and "Men in This Town" was one of the 10 that ended up on the record. The album missed initial deadlines for being worked on for so long, because Shakira wanted it to be successful and for it to be her 'moment' in the US. “This is my chance to consolidate a career and my dreams as an artist in the U.S., so that I can continue making music for a long time and traveling the world", she commented. She chose to venture into dance music with the album, as she aspired to have the artistic freedom to experiment with any sound, believing that the genre is just right for that:[3] "This was a sonic experimental trip. I wanted to play around with electronica, beats, synthesizers..."[4] When the album was released on 9 October 2009, "Men in This Town" instantly became a fan favorite.[5]

Composition

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"Men in This Town" is a hyperpop, alternative rock[6] and electroclash[7] song. It starts off with an electric guitar, progressing into an atmospheric and pulsating electronic production[8][9][10] and disco-style breakdowns.[4] Shakira alters her voice on the bridge, making it sound gritty and rough, before shifting to a high, dreamy tone.[10]

The song features themes of disenhancement and irony and has lyrics intertwined with heartfelt emotion.[11][12] The lyrics of the song explore being patient and hoping to find a decent man in the clubs of the superficial California: "Is there a prince in this fable for a small-town girl like me?"[13][14][15][16][12] The lyrics have references to Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie,[14] as well as the city of Los Angeles[11] and SkyBar.[3] The song concludes with lyrics about "a suicide waiting."[17]

As for the lyrics yearning for Damon ("The good ones are gone or not able/ And Matt Damon’s not meant for me"), Shakira wondered if she should send an apology note to his wife Luciana Barroso telling her not to worry.[18][19][20][21][22][23] Damon soon commented that he is honored to be mentioned in the lyrics, and that he is a fan of Shakira. He also revealed that Shakira did send him and his wife a "sweet note."[24] Shakira's history with Damon goes back to earlier in the 2000s, when she was offered a role in a movie where she would have acted alongside Damon, but she could not make it due to time constraints.[16]

Reception

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Critics lauded "Men in This Town" for its fresh, youthful energy and infectious dance-pop vibes, highlighting Shakira's raw vocal energy and her successful exploration of new musical boundaries, and dynamics. The song was also praised for its clever lyrics and its potential to become a major hit was noted.

Brian White from why so blu? mentioned that the song is probably his favorite from the album, for being "fresh and youthful", having infectous vibes and Shakira's "raw energy." He noted that Shakira's vocals explore new boundaries, dynamics, and styles that she has not previously showcased. He also claimed that the song has potential to achieve significant success, possibly more so in European markets, becoming popular in dance venues.[14] Gary Trust from Billboard listed "Men in This Town" as one of the "five likely 2010 radio hits … if they’d been released to radio."[25] Totally Dublin described "Men in This Town", and "Spy" from the same album, as "particularly impressive amazing dance pop to enliven any night out."[26] The Diamondback emphasized how Shakira ventured beyond her usual musical boundaries with the song, successfully pushing her limits. The newspaper also highlighted the song's clever lyrics.[10] In 2014, Robert Copsey from Digital Spy listed "Men in This Town" as one of Shakira's ten best songs.[5]

Live performances

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Following an intense campaign from fans on social media, Shakira alluded on an Instagram reel that got over 5 million views in less than 24 hours that she will perform her song "Men in This Town" during her two Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour dates at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.[11][27][28] These performances are set to be the live debut for the song, and are scheduled for 4 August and 5 August 2025.[27][29]

References

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  1. ^ "Esta es la canción que los fans quieren que Shakira cante en Los Ángeles". www.radioactiva.ec. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  2. ^ Ben-Yehuda, Ayala (2009-09-16). "Shakira: The 'She Wolf' Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  3. ^ a b Grigoriadis, Vanessa (2009-11-12). "Can Shakira Conquer the World?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  4. ^ a b "Shakira | HuffPost". www.huffpost.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  5. ^ a b "Are these Shakira's ten best songs?". Digital Spy. 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  6. ^ Linden, Amy (2009-12-01). "In Praise of Shakira's Mesmerizingly Goofy She Wolf". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  7. ^ "Globaler Pop". www.fr.de (in German). 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  8. ^ idobi (2009-11-23). "Shakira's 'She Wolf' global pop for the wolf inside us all". idobi. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  9. ^ Sawdey, Evan (2009-11-23). "Shakira: She Wolf » PopMatters". www.popmatters.com. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  10. ^ a b c "Hungry like a She Wolf". The Diamondback. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  11. ^ a b c Triviño, Kenneth (2025-06-24). "Esta es la canción que los fans quieren que Shakira cante en Los Ángeles". www.ecuavisa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  12. ^ a b Ríos, Mauricio (26 June 2025). "Fanáticos piden en redes sociales a Shakira que interprete el tema Men in This Town" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  13. ^ "Shakira's one loco She Wolf". The Georgia Straight. 2009-11-25. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  14. ^ a b c "Brian Bites Into Shakira's She Wolf (CD Review)". Why So Blu?. 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  15. ^ Lustig, Jay (2009-11-20). "CD review: Shakira is hungry like the wolf". NJ.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-01. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  16. ^ a b "El día que Shakira le dijo que no a Matt Damon: cómo era su relación". Los Andes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-01-15. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  17. ^ Mika (2009-09-21). "Shakira's 'She Wolf' Review, Pushed Back Again 'November 17th'". The Neptunes #1 fan site, all about Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  18. ^ "Shakira wants to apologise to Matt Damon's wife". The Indian Express. 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  19. ^ "Shakira planeja pedir desculpas a mulher de Matt Damon". CidadeVerde.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  20. ^ "Shakira quer pedir desculpas a mulher de Matt Damon". www.otempo.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  21. ^ "Shakira planeja pedir desculpas a mulher de Matt Damon - 21/11/2009 - Ilustrada - Folha de S.Paulo". m.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  22. ^ Redação (2009-11-23). "Shakira pedirá desculpas à mulher de Matt". CARAS Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  23. ^ "Matt Damon ist Shakiras Märchenprinz". www.promiflash.de (in German). 2009-11-23. Archived from the original on 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  24. ^ "Matt Damon 'Honored' To Be Named In Shakira Song - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  25. ^ Trust, Gary (2011-01-07). "Ask Billboard: Readers' 2010 Top Picks, Continued". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2025-02-22. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  26. ^ totallydublin (2009-10-28). "Shakira - She Wolf". Totally Dublin. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  27. ^ a b "Shakira responde a sus fans: canta canción que le pidieron en su próximo concierto en LA". Femina Laredo (in Spanish). 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  28. ^ "Shakira cantará 'Men in This Town' en los conciertos de Los Angeles". EuropaFM (in Spanish). 2025-06-26. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  29. ^ "Shakira promete cantar música nunca tocada ao vivo; veja qual | Alpha FM - 101.7" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2025-06-26. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
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