First of all, it's a good album. There are some great songs on here with really catchy hooks; Nada, Comme Moi, When a Woman, Chantaje...from the musical perspective of getting a song into your head, these are all first rate and arguably as good a selection as on any album Shakira has produced to date. She's picked some good collaborations in the past, and as previously these also work out really well.
What's missing? Well, for me she just doesn't stretch her voice anywhere here. For those of us who've followed her career so far, the big highlights have come when she gets her full range going - see La Pared, No Creo, Ojos Asi, Inevitable etc. These are big songs, showing off her distinctive vocals to their best. Shakira is also really good at the quiet end of the spectrum, using whispers or murmurs to add emotion to great effect. On El Dorado, she's stuck more to the middle ground, and as a result even though there are some excellent songs on here they're not quite as "Shakira" as I was hoping for.
Conclusion - it's more than an album for the fans, there's enough here to fully justify the album in its own right, but with a bit more showcasing of Shakira's individuality this would have been challenging for her best album yet.
