At 22 the Colombian singer-songwriter is on her way up: she's topping Billboard's Latin charts; she recently won a Grammy nomination; and she's working on her first English-language album. The fuss over Shakira is justified. On her latest CD she charges Latin pop with rock 'n' roll to thrilling effect. Even when her music gets loud, Shakira's vibrant contralto remains sweet and expressive. The album's title translates as "Where are the thieves?" Missing out on this collection would be at least a misdemeanor.
--By Christopher John Farley