Chart Rewind: Shakira’s ‘Whenever, Wherever’ Soared To Its Hot 100 Peak This Week in 2002

In honor of Shakira earning her latest Hot 100 top 10 hit with ‘Bzrp,’ this week we’re turning the clock back to 2002 when she first conquered the chart territory.

While acts like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and Enrique Iglesias were christened frontrunners of the “Latin Pop” movement that was taking Stateside charts by storm in the early 2000s, a certain globally-recognized seductress named Shakira was already doing so on charts in every part of the Spanish-speaking world.

Looking to cash in on the new Latin phenomenon in the U.S., the singer introduced her first English-language album – ‘Laundry Service’ – in late 2001 (kicked off by the mountain-moving ‘Whenever, Wherever’).

Co-written by pioneer and Queen of Latin Pop Gloria Estefan, American audiences were mesmerized by the panpipes and charango that lined the tune’s instrumental – a feat only accented by Shaki’s unique vocal stylings. That love affair was only deepened once viewers got a peek at the song’s Francis Lawrence-directed music video, the first time they found out she wasn’t fibbing when she said her hips don’t lie.

A welcomed deviation from the Teen Pop and Hip-Hop that was dominating airwaves in 2001, by the top of 2002 ‘Whenever, Wherever’ found itself in the Hot 100’s top 10 where it peaked at #6 this week that year. The chart triumph would mark a first for the hip-winding diva.

And while the song didn’t earn much love by way of industry recognition, its accompanying visual did collect a LATIN GRAMMY for ‘Best Short Form Music Video’ at the 2002 ceremony. Most importantly, it’s stood the test of time as a Shakira fan-favorite, a critical standout cut from the pack of Latin Pop that rocked airwaves at the turn of the century, and helped its parent album sell over 13 million copies worldwide.

Hot 100 This Week in 2002

Hot 100 This Week

Click here to see this week’s full Hot 100 recap via the weekly segment ‘TGJ Chart Check.’