Shakira and Rihanna Join Forces For an Unforgettable Dance Romp

Shakira and Rihanna prove themselves in fine form together on "Can't Remember To Forget You" which shall become available in album form on the former's self-titled new album due in March. I'm struck by the potent combination of genre styles weaving their way through the song. The chorus guns it with a guitar charisma that would appear to not be in either singer's wheelhouse so to speak. At the start there's more of a playful strum-oriented guitar moving at what would appear to be breakneck speed. Buoying the prancing pace along is a suitably Caribbean flavor. This plays up to Rihanna strengths than it does Shakira, even though the Colombian songbird makes us forget about possibly being out of her A-game creative element by laying on the high emotion sex appeal she's made her trademark. Don't let the sultry pipes make you think she's merely a pretty face without much else boosting her, as they'd say in the housing market, curb appeal. She's a brainy philanthropist for whom showing skin or, as she proved in 2006 as part of the Wyclef Jean tag team track "Hips Don't Lie", her curvaceous attributes. She's urged the guys to "keep on reading the signs of my body" sans self-conscious hyper awareness. But back we return to the single for which the blog is staking its name credibility. "Can't Remember To Forget You" puts us back in the heart of sentiments such as "Why can't I turn the page on this relationship? Why can't I do a Don Henley, "Boys of Summer" thing and don't look back, never look back?" Ah but you see it's the image of kissing in the moonlight, that crystal vision moment, that embodiment of smoldering perfection that's way better than any of us mere mortals deserve that has her trapped in lover's reminiscence games. Shakira plays the card of not trying to repeat yesterday's mistakes. That's the "before" part of the self-betterment before and after scenario setting up here. Rihanna obviously brings us the after, namely how she's back in the guy's bed, repeating the mistakes Shakira was trying to warn herself off of. Rihanna brazenly admits how she'd go to some pretty non law-conformist things to keep him around, murder and theft to name a few. She'd even give up the last nickel she had. As I have mentioned previously Shakira calls Colombia home and Rihanna hails from Barbados,therefore the several degrees of spice separation featured throughout this highly combustible number make perfect sense. These two post-millennial females have shown in the past that they know how to bring ample flavor to the party as part of duets. Shakira and Wyclef Jean brought "Hips Don't Lie" to the very top of the Billboard hit parade. Meanwhile Rihanna turned the same trick with rap's resident mad genius Eminem on "Love The Way You Lie". Together these femmes lift the flames of insanity saturated desire as high as the limitless sky can take them. It's cool to see Rihanna wind her way back to dance-friendly ditties as she had with "Pon De Replay" and 2007's ubiquitous "Umbrella". Shakira already had tongues rolling with "Whenever, Wherever" The dance purists might say "Can't Remember To Forget You" is simply tantalizing ear wallpaper. Lots of sizzle but precious little meat on the bones. I beg to differ. This song transports Rihanna's already successful career trajectory out of the slutty end of the gene pool it flirted with due to "Unapologetic" and reminds the masses Shakira didn't just fold up her tent and roll away. "Can't Remember To Forget You" is a tasty morsel best enjoyed right out of the oven.