This was written and originally recorded by British alternative rock band The xx on their Mercury-winning self-titled debut album, which came out in 2009. Released as a single it peaked at #34 on the UK chart.
Shakira first performed the song during her performance at the Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2010. She then recorded a soft-rock-oriented version for her bilingual album Sale el Sol. It was the first time Shakira has ever included a cover on any album.
In a 2012 interview with The Fader, xx singer/guitarist Romy Madley Croft recalled her brief encounter with Shakira at the London BBC Studios prior to the Colombian pop singer recording "Islands." She said: "We were sitting on a wall outside the BBC and she came up and her bodyguards parted and it was little Shakira, and she says, 'Hi!' And I was like, 'Wow!' I found out recently that she's a big fan of The Cure and stuff."
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