Throwback Pics Of Shakira With Dark Hair From The '90s

By Alia Ayoubi
Shakira showing off her long blonde locks during a performance onstage Obturadormx/Getty Images

Colombian singer Shakira has always proudly rocked her signature features, from her hips that don't lie to her tousled, wavy, sun-kissed locks. However, the "She-Wolf" hitmaker's original look was a far cry from the beachy blonde we're used to seeing on her. Shakira debuted her lighter locks in 2000, refining her look further in the 2001 cover art for her album "Laundry Service," before buckling down on the blonde in her iconic Adam and Eve inspired album art for mega-hit follow-up "Oral Fixation Vol. 2." However, the covers of earlier albums such as "Pies Descalzos" (1995) and "Donde Estan Los Ladrones" (1998) depicted the singer as a stunning brunette. 

Likewise, images commemorating the 35-year anniversary of her song "Lejos De Tu Amor" showcase a nearly unrecognizable version of the star. Shakira's switch to blonde also signaled her shift to making music in English, rather than her native Spanish. While the "Whenever, Wherever" hitmaker has also consistently released Spanish versions of her albums in the years since, this new look may have been a response to the other blonde bombshells who were dominating the American charts at the time, like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. But Shakira still likes to shake things up.

Shakira's signature hair has had its ups and downs

Shakira with her hair in a half-up hairdo dressed in purple for a movie premiere waving at the camera Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

There's no doubt that the Colombian singer's hair has always been impressive — Shakira's stylist, Kim Kimble, even released her own curly hair brand in 2022. While these products give her golden tendrils the volume and moisture they need, they undoubtedly also helped keep her curls protected when Shakira revealed her brand-new look in 2021, after dying her locks red. However, not all of these changes have been intentional. Shakira's 2020 Super Bowl performance hair was almost a complete disaster after she accidentally dyed it black at home. However, the "Waka Waka" hitmaker doesn't inherently hate her darker natural color either. In a 2021 interview with Cosmopolitan, Shakira opened up about how her transformation had nothing to do with appealing to a bigger audience. 

Rather, "I just wanted to see my hair a different way. I changed my hair many different ways throughout my career. I love dark hair." But returning to her roots may not be in the cards for her any time soon either. As she acknowledged, "I sometimes miss my super-shiny black, dark hair. It never got to be the same because once you put bleach on your hair, it just never shines the same way." Luckily her lighter locks can at least emulate that glow — even if tackling the damage is an uphill battle. Even so, there's no denying that regardless of what hair color Shakira chooses, she always manages to drive the crowds "Loca."

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