Did it Again

Album: She Wolf (2009)
Charted: 26
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the second single from Shakira's third English-language studio album, She Wolf, in all territories apart from the US. A Spanish version of this song titled "Lo Hecho Está Hecho" was also released. In the song, Shakira feels guilty after having an affair with a married man, and wishes she could stop making the same old mistakes when it comes to love.
  • The song was co-produced and co-written by Neptunes record producer Pharrell Williams. Shakira said of Pharrell to MTV News: "He comes up with ideas, and he executes them immediately. It's really cool, because I'm a little bit slower, and he's the man with the big strokes, and he really comes with great ideas. It was a great synergy."
  • The musical arrangement incorporates the rhythms of Brazilian samba and fast-paced drums. It is typical of the album, which features a selection of electronic pop songs with various world music textures. Shakira told Billboard: "I felt very curious and intrigued about the electro-pop world and everything it has to offer. I wanted to make sure that this album was very bassy and that the kicks hit really hard, and I wanted to concentrate on the beat. But my music, to a certain extent, is very complex - because I always try to experiment with sounds from other parts of the world."
  • British director Sophie Muller ("Hips Don't Lie") tapped into a range of influences for the music video, including 19th-century paintings, Turkish bathrooms, and Icelandic dances. Shakira explained the video to MTV News: "It was a collaboration between this friend of mine who's a dancer, and me. She showed me this contemporary dance piece that was produced in Iceland. So we said, 'Hey, maybe we could do something like this for 'Did It Again.' So we brought this choreographer from Iceland from this contemporary dance company, and we worked on this piece. And I decided to bring a little bit of this painter, [Lawrence] Alma-Tadema, who portrays women in these bathrooms, these Turkish bathrooms, and I wanted to bring a little bit of that poetic imagery to this video," she continued. "And I remember not too long ago having watched a few women turn their heads in a trans in Morocco. So we brought all these pieces - Moroccan women twirling and turning their heads, and the poetry from Alma-Tadema's paintings, plus this Icelandic contemporary dance piece - and we mixed all these pieces together for the video."
  • Shakira sang this, along with "She Wolf," on the October 17, 2009 episode of Saturday Night Live.
  • In December 2009, a remix of the English version was released with a rap verse by Kid Cudi. The music video was also re-released, with footage of the rapper interspersed throughout the clip.

Comments: 1

  • Aaron from Los Angeles, CaThis song is about a couple having an affair in a hotel room.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.