A testament to Shakira's talent

Following the success of Shakira's Spanish-language Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 last year, the Colombian pop-rock singer's latest English-language effort Oral Fixation Vol. 2 has hit the market.

The cover features Shakira posing as Eve in Genesis and the first single How Do You Do starts with the chanting of a segment of the Lord's Prayer, but the track then goes on to question faith and religion.

This song - together with Animal City, which is the most inventive and the funniest song on the album, and Timor, which criticises international ignorance of genocide - is Shakira's attempt to show that she's more than just a sex symbol.

She is clearly eager to demonstrate that she has a thoughtful, reflective side too.

Don't Bother, The Day and The Time and Your Embrace are catchy and they showcase Shakira's beautiful, malleable voice, but her songs would be even better if she sang more gently.

The lyrics to all 11 songs on the album were written or co-written by Shakira, proving that the Latin artist has not only mastered writing in her native Spanish, but she is also skilled in writing in English.