LATIN/POP SINGER SHAKIRA, SAMPLES INNER CIRCLE’S “SWEAT” ON HER LATEST SINGLE!

By Howard Campbell—
Observer senior writer—

Shakira

Colombian star Shakira samples Inner Circle’s 1992 hit song Sweat (A La La La La Long) for her latest single, Me Gusta, which also features Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA.

According to Billboard Magazine, the song was released on January 13. The publication describes it as an “infectious reggaeton-meets-Latin-trap fusion”.

Me Gusta refers Sweat’s memorable “Ala-la-la-la-long, ala-la-la-la-long, long-li-long lo lo (Oh-yeah) Ala-la-la-la-long, ala-la-la-la-long, long-li-long-lo lo” chorus which helped make it one of the biggest reggae songs of the 1990s.

Sweat was the follow-up to Bad Boys, another massive hit single for Inner Circle. Both are from Bad Boys, which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1994.

Shakira is one of the biggest acts in Latin music. Songs like Whenever, Wherever and Underneath Your Clothes helped her break into the English-speaking pop market in 2001 after she had mega success in Latin America.

Some of her songs have been recorded at Circle House, Inner Circle’s studio in north Miami.

Shakira is expected to perform Me Gusta during her Super Bowl LIV half-time show on February 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. She is co-headliner with Jennifer Lopez.