Shakira

 

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( shə-KEER-ə, Spanish: [ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol]; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer. Referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music", she has had a significant impact on the musical landscape of Latin America and has been credited with popularising Hispanophone music on a global level, which in turn contributed to increased learning and use of the Spanish language worldwide. The recipient of various accolades, she has won 4 Grammy Awards and 15 Latin Grammy Awards, including 3 Song of the Year wins

Shakira made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 14. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence with the next two, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album of all time by a female Latin artist. Her success was further solidified with the Spanish-language albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010), El Dorado (2017), and Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, making her the first woman with number-one albums across four different decades. Her English-language albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009), and Shakira (2014) received platinum certifications in various countries worldwide.

Shakira is one of the world's best-selling musicians. She scored numerous number-one singles and other top songs worldwide, including "Estoy Aquí", "Antología", "Ciega, Sordomuda", "Ojos Así", "Whenever, Wherever / Suerte", "Underneath Your Clothes", "Objection (Tango)", "La Tortura", "Las de la Intuición", "Hips Don't Lie", "Beautiful Liar", "She Wolf", "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", "Loca", "Rabiosa", "Can't Remember to Forget You", "Dare (La La La)", "La Bicicleta", "Chantaje", "Te Felicito", "Monotonía", "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53", and "TQG". Shakira served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice (2013–2014), had a voice role in the animated films Zootopia (2016) and Zootopia 2 (2025), and executive-produced and judged the dance competition series Dancing with Myself (2022). She is credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists. Billboard named her the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade twice (2000s and 2010s).

Shakira has written or co-written a vast majority of the material she recorded or performed, music and lyrics, during her career. Noted to be an "international phenomenon" whose music, story, and legacy "resonate in every corner of the globe", Shakira has been described as an artistic link between the West and the East for popularising Middle Eastern sounds in the West, and Western sounds in the East. For her philanthropic and humanitarian work, such as the Barefoot Foundation, and her contributions to music, she received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year awards in 2011. Shakira was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the United States in 2011, and was granted the honour of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012. She has been an advocate for equitable development of the Global South, the rights and interests of children, the Latino minority in the U.S. and Canada, women, and other underrepresented groups.

 

Early life

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on 2 February 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the only child of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado. Her parents are of Lebanese and Spanish descent, though she has distant Italian roots through an ancestor with the surname Pisciotti. She was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools. Shakira has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage. She spent much of her youth in Barranquilla, a city located on the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Shakira wrote her first poem, titled "La Rosa de Cristal" ('The Crystal Rose'), when she was four years old, and continued to write poetry. As her music interests crystallised, the poetry turned into song lyrics. When she was two years old, her half-brother was killed at the age of nineteen, in a motorcycle accident. Six years later, writing lyrics on her typewriter and having been given a guitar by her aunt, she composed her first song, titled "Gafas Oscuras" ('Dark Glasses'). It was inspired by her father, who for years wore dark glasses to hide his grief.

Shakira grew up in reasonably comfortable family conditions until her father, a jeweler, went bankrupt when she was eight. Her parents sent her to stay for a while with relatives in Los Angeles. When she came back, their two cars, furniture and color TV were gone and she had to adjust to a different reality. She was able to buy her parents a car when she was 14, after receiving some money for the release of the Magia album.

When she was four, Shakira's father took her to a local Middle Eastern restaurant, where she first heard the doumbek, a traditional drum of Middle-Eastern music, used to accompany belly dancing. Spontaneously, she climbed onto a table and started to dance; soon, she wanted to do it for anyone who would watch. At her Catholic school, she demonstrated belly dancing on every Friday morning, encouraged by her parents, teachers and students in the audience, who were convinced of her bright future as a performer. "Just her, singing and dancing on the stage", recalled a former classmate. However, in second grade, Shakira was rejected for the school choir because, according to the music teacher, her vibrato was too strong; classmates told her she sounded like a goat. She was often sent out of class because of her hyperactivity. To make Shakira appreciate more the modest conditions of her upbringing, her father took her to a local park so she could see orphans who lived there. The images stayed with her, and she said to herself, "One day I'm going to help these kids when I become a famous artist". Having regained some confidence in her singing, she entered a local TV station talent contest when she was ten and won the top prize, a bicycle.

Between the ages of ten and thirteen, Shakira attended various events around Barranquilla and gained some recognition singing and dancing in the area. She met local theater producer Monica Ariza, who was impressed with her and convinced Sony Music Colombia executive Ciro Vargas to hold an audition for her. Pleased with her performance, he managed to arrange for other Sony Music people to be present during an audition in Bogotá, in which Shakira sang three songs and impressed the executives enough to be signed, at the age of 13, for the recording of three albums.

 

Career

1990–1993: Magia and Peligro

Shakira's debut album, Magia, was released in June 1991 under Sony Music Colombia. Recording began in 1990 when she was 13; the album consists of pop rock ballads and disco uptempo songs with Shakira writing the majority of the album's tracks. The album featured her debut single "Magia" as well as "Sueños" and "Esta Noche Voy Contigo". Magia was not a commercial success and only 1,200 copies were sold in Colombia. Little known outside of her native Colombia at the time, Shakira was invited to perform at Chile's Viña del Mar International Song Festival in February 1993. The festival gave aspiring Latin American singers a chance to present their songs and the winner was chosen by a panel of judges. Shakira's performance of the ballad "Eres" brought her the trophy for third place.

Shakira's second studio album, Peligro, was released in March 1993. It features the singles "Tú Serás la Historia de Mi Vida", "Eres", "Peligro", and "Brujería". Shakira was not pleased with the final result, taking issue mainly with the production. The album was better received than Magia had been, but it became another commercial failure. In 1993–1994, she starred in the Colombian TV series El Oasis.

Having been moved up in her classwork ahead of her age, Shakira graduated from a convent secondary school when she was 15, but her professional involvement in music prevented her from continuing formal education. On starting her career so early, she later said: "I wouldn't have done anything different myself [...] though I think I missed out on adolescence. I never misbehaved when I was a teenager and that's something you've got to do. I was so focused on my goals. I was already an adult when I was 14. Maybe I'll have a belated adolescence when I'm old".

 

1994–2000: Breakthrough with Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones?

In 1994, Shakira recorded "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" for the compilation album Nuestro Rock Volumen II. The song became a hit in Colombia. After "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" proved to be a chart success, Sony Music Colombia decided to move forward with Shakira's third studio album. Shakira began writing and recording for the album with Luis Fernando Ochoa, who would become her principal music collaborator for her next three albums. Her third studio album, Pies Descalzos, was released in October 1995. It reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The album spawned six singles, all of which peaked within the top 20 of the U.S. Latin chart: "Estoy Aquí", "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?", "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos", "Un Poco de Amor", "Antología", and "Se Quiere, Se Mata"; the former two were top-five hits. Pies Descalzos achieved top ranking in eight countries, and in August 1996, RIAA certified the album platinum in the U.S. Pies Descalzos eventually sold over 5 million copies. In October 1995, Shakira commenced Tour Pies Descalzos, her first international tour. It's 118 shows took two years to complete.

In 1997, Shakira received three Billboard Latin Music Awards for Album of the Year for Pies Descalzos, Video of the Year for "Estoy Aqui", and Best New Artist. That year, Shakira released the remix album The Remixes, of which over one million copies were sold. At 19, Shakira was named a national cultural ambassador by the president of Colombia, a distinction she shares with writer Gabriel García Márquez.

Dónde Están los Ladrones?, Shakira's fourth studio album, was released in September 1998. It was recorded at the Miami studio of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Artistic production was done by Shakira with Emilio Estefan listed as the executive producer. Dónde Están los Ladrones? became an even bigger worldwide hit than Pies Descalzos. The album reached a peak of number 131 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and held the top spot on the U.S. Latin Albums chart for 11 weeks. Over 7 million copies were sold worldwide, including 1.5 million in the U.S., making it one of the best-selling Spanish albums there. Eight singles were taken from the album: "Ciega, Sordomuda", "Moscas en la Casa", "No Creo", "Inevitable", "Tú", "Si Te Vas", "Octavo Día", and "Ojos Así". "Ciega, Sordomuda" and "Tú" reached number one on the U.S. Latin chart.

In 1999, Shakira received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. Her first live album, MTV Unplugged, was recorded in New York City as MTV Unplugged's first Spanish language broadcast on 12 August 1999 and released in early 2000. The performance was highly acclaimed by American critics; the album topped the Latin charts and sales statistics. In March 2000, Shakira embarked on Tour Anfibio, a two-month series of concerts in Latin America and the United States. In August 2000, she won an MTV Video Music Award in the category of People's Choice – Favourite International Artist for "Ojos Así". In September 2000, Shakira performed "Ojos Así" at the inaugural ceremony of the Latin Grammy Awards, where she was nominated in five categories: Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for MTV Unplugged, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Octavo Día", Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ojos Así", and Best Short Form Music Video for the "Ojos Así" video.

 

2001–2004: Laundry Service and English transition

Upon the successes of Dónde Están los Ladrones? and MTV Unplugged, Shakira began working on an English crossover album. Her manager, Emilio Estefan, took an early notice of Shakira's potential for a "crossover" into the U.S. music market because of her "universally catchy pop-rock melodies, cerebral lyrics, unwavering self-determination and natural sex appeal". Shakira's English language skills were improved with the help of Gloria Estefan.

"Whenever, Wherever", called "Suerte" in the simultaneously published Spanish language version, was released at the end of August 2001 as the first and lead single from Shakira's fifth studio album. The song took heavy influence from Andean music, including the charango and pan flute in its instrumentation. It became an international success by reaching number one in most countries. In the U.S., it reached number six on the Hot 100.

The new album, titled Laundry Service in English-speaking countries and Servicio de Lavanderia in Latin America and Spain, was released on 13 November 2001. Servicio de Lavanderia features the same songs, arranged in a different order. Nine out of thirteen tracks Shakira sings in English. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 200,000 records in its first week. It was later certified triple platinum. Its success established Shakira's musical presence in the mainstream North American market. "Underneath Your Clothes", "Objection (Tango)", "The One", "Te Dejo Madrid", "Que Me Quedes Tú", and "Poem to a Horse" were other Laundry Service songs issued as singles. Shakira wrote or co-wrote each of the songs, and Laundry Service was produced by her alone. The rock and Spanish dance-influenced album, created for the English-language market, gained mild critical success, with some critics claiming that Shakira's English skills were too weak for her to write songs in that language. Laundry Service became the best-selling album of 2002 and eventually more than 15 million copies were sold worldwide.

Laundry Service, the "crossover" transition process and its manifestations created a rift among Shakira's followers. The new album's detractors considered the singer a sellout and claimed that her now blond hair, English language singing and new look showed that she was "abandoning her essence" and "transforming into a whiter, sexier version of herself", one more "palatable for Anglo audiences". Shakira insisted that her only motivation for blonding her hair was her own vanity. Regarding the disgruntled fans, she replied: "I'm so sure of what I represent for my people and of what I am. I know that my roots are very well-planted in Latin America. And I feel proud of being Colombian and Latin, and I say it out loud to the rest of the world every time I can." Having opted now for musical stylistic "fusion", she told the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo in 2001: "Fusion offers me the opportunity to remove any type of label people want to place on me. It gives me freedom...I don't want to be tied to a specific style and become the architect of my own prison".
 

Freddy DeMann took over Shakira's management from Emilio Estefan in 2000 and negotiated for her a multi-million dollar global promotional deal with Pepsi. Shakira released four songs for Pepsi: "Ask for More", "Pide Más", "Knock on My Door", and "Pídeme el Sol". Laundry Service: Washed and Dried album (CD and DVD) was issued in 2002. It comprises some remixes and alternative versions of songs from the original collection. Sony Music released Shakira's Spanish greatest-hits compilation, Grandes Éxitos.
 

At Aerosmith's MTV Icon in April 2002, Shakira performed "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)". Also in 2002, she performed for VH1 Divas Las Vegas. In August, she performed "Objection (Tango)" at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards and won the International Viewer's Choice Award with "Suerte / Whenever, Wherever". She also won the Latin Grammy Award for the category of Best Short Form Music Video for the Spanish version of "Objection (Tango)". In October, she won five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America for Best Female Artist, Best Pop Artist, Best Artist – North (Region), Video of the Year (for "Suerte"), and Artist of the Year. In November 2002, Shakira embarked on the Tour of the Mongoose and 61 shows took place by May 2003. The tour was her first worldwide tour, as legs were played in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. A CD and DVD live album, Live & off the Record, was released in 2004; three million sets were sold worldwide.

 

2005–2007: Fijación Oral, vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, vol. 2

Preparing for her next productions, Shakira wrote sixty songs, in Spanish and in English. Out of these, she selected twenty to be used in two albums, separated by language.

"La Tortura", the lead single from Shakira's sixth studio album Fijación Oral, vol. 1, was released in April 2005 and features Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz. For a record 25 weeks, it remained on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. "La Tortura" reached number 23 on the Hot 100, number one in Spain and enjoyed high rankings across the world. "La Tortura" was one of the first Spanish-language songs to be performed at the MTV Video Music Awards; Shakira performed the song at the 2005 Awards in Miami.

Fijación Oral, vol. 1, released in June 2005, was well received in North America, South America, and Europe. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 157,000 copies in its first week and becoming the highest U.S. debut ever for a Spanish-language album. It has since sold over two million copies in the U.S., earning an 11× Platinum (Latin field) certification from the RIAA. In Venezuela, it earned a Platinum certification, in Colombia, a triple Platinum certification, while in Mexico demand exceeded shipments and it became unavailable after one day of sales. It was a top album in Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany. Four more singles were released from Fijación Oral, vol. 1: "No", "Día de Enero", "La Pared", and "Las de la Intuición". The album has sold over five million copies worldwide. On 8 February 2006, Shakira won her second Grammy Award, winning Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. She received four Latin Grammy Awards in November 2006, winning in the categories of Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "La Tortura", Album of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Album for Fijación Oral, vol. 1.

Shakira's second English album and seventh studio album, Oral Fixation, vol. 2, was released in November 2005. It debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. It went on to sell 1.8 million records in the U.S. and over eight million worldwide. The lead single for Oral Fixation, vol. 2, "Don't Bother", missed the top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In most countries worldwide, it reached the top 20. "Hips Don't Lie", which featured Wyclef Jean, was released as the album's second single in February 2006. It became Shakira's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The song reached the number one spot in over 55 other countries and became the biggest-selling single of the 21st century worldwide. Shakira and Wyclef Jean performed the song at the closing ceremony of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The third and final single from the album, "Illegal" featuring Carlos Santana, was released in November 2006.

Shakira embarked on the Oral Fixation Tour, which comprised 120 shows that took place between June 2006 and December 2007; five continents were visited. In 2006, she was honoured with the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award for her Fundación Pies Descalzos. In February 2007, she performed at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and earned a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean. Shakira's third live album, Oral Fixation Tour, was released in November 2007.

In late 2006, Shakira and Alejandro Sanz released the duet "Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No"; the song is featured on Sanz's album El Tren de los Momentos. "Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No" was a top ten hit in Latin America and topped the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. Shakira also collaborated with Miguel Bosé on the duet "Si Tú No Vuelves", which was released in Bosé's album Papito. The American R&B singer Beyoncé and Shakira collaborated on the track "Beautiful Liar", which was released in 2007 as the second single from the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's album B'Day. In April, the single jumped 91 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, from 94 to 3, setting the record for the largest upward movement in the history of the chart at the time. It was also number one on the official UK singles chart. "Beautiful Liar" earned them a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. In 2007, she participated, together with 23 other female singers, in the recording of Annie Lennox's song "Sing" from the album Songs of Mass Destruction. Also in 2007, Shakira and Wyclef Jean recorded their second duet, "King & Queen", featured on Jean's album Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. Shakira contributed three songs featured in the film Love in the Time of Cholera (2007): a version of "Pienso en ti" from her 1995 album Pies Descalzos, "Hay Amores" and "Despedida". "Despedida" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 65th Golden Globe Awards.

 

2008–2009: She Wolf

In early 2008, Forbes named Shakira the fourth top-earning female artist in the music industry. In July, she signed a $312 million contract with Live Nation Entertainment, an international touring conglomerate, which was to remain in effect for ten years. According to the artist, the deal would encompass tours, recordings, sponsorship and merchandise worldwide. Her existing contract with Epic Records (Sony Music Entertainment) called for three more albums – one in English, one in Spanish, and a compilation- but the touring and other rights under the Live Nation contract were to begin immediately.

On 17 May 2008, before an audience of over 150,000 people, Shakira was one of the artists who performed at the ALAS Foundation charity concert in Buenos Aires. Invited by Alejandro Sanz, she led the presentation of his song "No Es lo Mismo". Mercedes Sosa, Shakira and Pedro Aznar performed a cover of Silvio Rodríguez's song "La Maza". On 18 January 2009, Shakira was among the participants of the "We Are One" festivities in honour of the inauguration of President Barack Obama, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. She sang "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder and Usher. In March 2009, a studio recording of "La Maza" by Sosa featuring Shakira was released on Sosa's album Cantora, un Viaje Íntimo.

In July 2009, Shakira released "She Wolf" as the lead single from an upcoming album with the same title. The single was a commercial success, receiving certifications in 17 countries. Her eighth studio and third (mostly) English album She Wolf was released in October 2009. It received mainly positive reviews from critics. Mike Diver on BBC Review saw in it "perhaps the most enjoyably varied pop album of 2009" but detected "a greater sense of passion in songs playing out in her native tongue". Beyond the chart-conquering smashes, Shakira had "often explored some truly mind-boggling pop territories, deep-drilling for veins of inspiration absolutely alien to so many of her peers". She Wolf was included in AllMusic's year-end "Favorite Albums," "Favorite Latin Albums," and "Favorite Pop Albums" lists. It reached number one on the charts of Argentina, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, and Switzerland. It also charted inside the top five in Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. It debuted at number fifteen on the Billboard 200. It was certified double-platinum in Colombia and Mexico, platinum in Italy and Spain, and gold in numerous countries, including France and the United Kingdom. Over two million copies were sold worldwide, making She Wolf less successful in terms of sales than Shakira's other albums. Four singles were released from the album: "She Wolf", "Did It Again", "Give It Up to Me", and "Gypsy". "Good Stuff" was released as the album's sole promotional single. The heavily electronic She Wolf record was produced by Shakira.

 

2010–2015: "Waka Waka", Sale el Sol and Shakira

In 2010, Shakira collaborated with the South African Afro fusion band Freshlyground to create the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" Released on 7 May 2010, "Waka Waka" was performed by Shakira at the World Cup kick-off and closing. The single reached the top 20 in several countries of Europe, South America and Africa and the top 40 in the United States. "Waka Waka" has sold more than four million copies worldwide and is the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time. For her involvement with the World Cup-related campaigns and other philanthropic work, Shakira received the 2010 Free Your Mind MTV award.

In October 2010, Shakira released her ninth studio album. The mostly-Spanish Sale el Sol. It received critical acclaim and was included in AllMusic's Favorite Albums of 2010 and Favorite Latin Albums of 2010 year-end lists. At the 2011 Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, Sale el Sol was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Album, winning the award in the latter category. Commercially, the album was a success throughout Europe and Latin America. It peaked atop the charts of Belgium, Croatia, France, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain. In the United States, it debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200 chart, marking the highest debut for a Latin album for the year; it was Shakira's fifth album to peak at number one in the Latin albums category. Its lead single, "Loca", was number one in several countries. "Sale el Sol", "Rabiosa", "Antes de las Seis", and "Addicted to You" were also released as singles. The album has sold ten million copies since its release.

In September 2010 Shakira embarked on the Sale el Sol World Tour. Countries in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa were visited, with 106 shows in all. The tour was met with positive reactions from critics, who praised Shakira's stage presence and energy. In August 2011, she participated in an episode of Dora the Explorer animated TV series. A song titled "Todos Juntos" by Dora, featuring Shakira, was released with a music video. Promoted with the single "Je l'aime à mourir", in December 2011, Shakira's fourth live album, Live from Paris, was released.

On 9 November 2011, Shakira was honoured as Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year for her artistic achievements and philanthropic undertakings; she was the youngest of the musicians who had received this distinction. At the event, she performed a cover of Joe Arroyo's "En Barranquilla Me Quedo", as a tribute to the singer who had died earlier that year. In early 2012, Shakira signed to Roc Nation. She collaborated with rapper Pitbull for the song "Get It Started", a single from his 2012 album Global Warming. The single was released in June 2012. In September 2012, it was announced that Shakira and Usher would replace in March 2013 Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green as coaches for the fourth season of the U.S. TV show The Voice. Shakira also served on the sixth season of the series. In January 2013, Ivete Sangalo released "Dançando", a single featuring Shakira, off Sangalo's album Real Fantasia. In February 2013, Draco Rosa released "Blanca Mujer", a duet with Shakira as a promotional single for his album Vida.

Shakira originally intended to release a new album in 2012, but plans to release a single and video were postponed due to her pregnancy. In December 2013 it was announced that Shakira's new single, "Can't Remember to Forget You", a duet with Rihanna, would be issued in January 2014. Shakira, the artist's self-titled tenth studio album, produced by her, was released in March 2014. Commercially, the album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 85,000 copies. Shakira became the singer's highest-charting album on Billboard 200, although it also had her lowest first-week sales figure for an English-language album. The album spawned three singles. After releasing "Can't Remember to Forget You" and "Empire", RCA chose "Dare (La La La)" as the third single. The song "Medicine" was released as a promotional single off the album. On 13 July 2014, Shakira performed "La La La (Brazil 2014)" with Carlinhos Brown at the 2014 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

 

2016–2021: El Dorado

Shakira's work on her eleventh studio album, the mostly Spanish El Dorado, had been in progress from the latter part of 2015. Among her other projects was starring as a voice actress in the 2016 animated movie Zootopia. She voiced a character named Gazelle and sang a song titled "Try Everything". In May 2016, she collaborated with Colombian singer Carlos Vives on the track "La Bicicleta", which subsequently won the Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 28 October 2016, Shakira released the single "Chantaje" with Colombian singer Maluma; the song was a track from the upcoming El Dorado. It became her most-viewed YouTube video, with over 2.1 billion views as of 1 June 2018. Maluma had previously created a remix to "La Bicicleta". Shakira was featured on the single "Comme moi" by French rapper Black M. "Comme moi" and its English version were also included on El Dorado. On 7 April 2017, the song "Me Enamoré" was released as the second official single from El Dorado.

The El Dorado album, produced by Shakira, was issued on 26 May 2017. "Perro Fiel" featured American singer Nicky Jam. Its official release as El Dorado's third single took place on 15 September, the same date its music video, filmed in Barcelona, was premiered. Before being released as a single, "Perro Fiel" was already certified gold in Spain. "Trap" was released in January 2018 as the fourth single off the album, Shakira's second collaboration with Maluma. In January 2018, Shakira won her third Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for El Dorado; it made her the only female Latin artist to have done so. The album also earned her a top Latin Grammy, and she was recognised by a number of other prizes. With El Dorado, she had received thirteen Grammys overall, including ten Latin Grammys. El Dorado had over 10 billion streams, which made it one of the most-streamed female albums of all time.

The El Dorado World Tour was announced on 27 June 2017. After several postponements due to vocal injuries, the tour commenced in Hamburg on 3 June. The same month, she released "Clandestino", a collaboration with Maluma, as a standalone single. The European leg of the tour ended in Barcelona on 7 July. A total of 54 concerts took place.

On 3 November 2018, "Nada" was released as the fifth and final single off El Dorado. In October 2019, Shakira was featured on a remix of Camilo and Pedro Capó's single "Tutu". Shakira's fifth live album, Shakira in Concert: El Dorado World Tour, was released in November 2019. Forbes ranked Shakira among the world's highest-paid women in music in 2019, at number 10. In January 2020, she released "Me Gusta", a collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA.

On 2 February 2020, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez performed at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show. According to Billboard, the halftime show had a viewership of 103 million people, while 102 million watched the game itself. It was the most viewed halftime show by then on YouTube. Shakira called attention to the Afro-Colombian community by doing a traditional champeta dance break. She and Lopez appeared again in the finale of the event, jointly singing Waka Waka.

In May and June, Shakira participated in two television specials performing her songs during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II (with "Try Everything") and Global Goal: Unite for Our Future (with "Sale el Sol"). In December 2020, she teamed up with Black Eyed Peas on the single "Girl Like Me", written as a tribute to Latin women.

In January 2021, Shakira sold her catalogue of 145 songs (publishing rights) to Hipgnosis Songs Fund. On 16 July 2021, she released a single titled "Don't Wait Up".

 

2022–present: Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran

In 2022, Shakira began releasing singles from what was to become her twelfth studio album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. The first was "Te Felicito", a collaboration with Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro, released on 21 April 2022 as the lead single from the album. The song was later nominated for Record of the Year at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards. On 19 May she was granted the Special International Award with Apple Music at the British Ivors Academy's Ivor Novello Awards. On 31 May, the dance competition show Dancing with Myself premiered on NBC; Shakira served as an executive producer and judge alongside Liza Koshy and Nick Jonas. The series was canceled after one season. In June, Shakira released "Don't You Worry", a collaboration with Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta. "Monotonía", a collaboration with Puerto Rican singer Ozuna, was released in October as the second single from her twelfth studio album. "Monotonía" became the most successful Spanish-language debut of 2022 and the biggest female solo debut on YouTube; it was also the biggest song debut in Shakira's career.

 

On 11 January 2023, the single "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" was released, a collaboration with Argentine DJ Bizarrap. It reached number one in 16 countries, achieved 14 Guinness World Records, and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Shakira's fifth top-ten in the U.S. and her first since "Beautiful Liar" (2007). She became the first woman to debut a Spanish-language track in the top-ten of the chart. The song reached number two on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excluding U.S. charts. A diss track aimed at Shakira's ex-partner, Gerard Piqué, the song achieved record-breaking success on streaming services and had a measurable cultural impact.

On 24 February 2023, the single ″TQG″ by Karol G and Shakira was released. It became Shakira's sixth top-ten and highest-debuting single in the U.S. at number 7. It broke the Guinness World Record for the highest-charting Spanish-language track by a woman in the U.S. The song debuted atop the Global 200, her first number one. Further singles from Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, "Acróstico", "Copa Vacía", and "El Jefe" were released in May, June, and September, respectively. On 29 July 2023, Shakira became the first woman to occupy the top three spots on the Latin Pop Airplay chart with "TQG" at the summit, "Acróstico" at number two and "Copa Vacía" at number three. On 12 September, Shakira received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards and performed a medley of her hits. At the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, she received seven nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Shakira became the first artist in the show's history to receive three nominations for Song of the Year in a single ceremony—with "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53", "TQG", and "Acróstico". She won Song of the Year and Best Pop Song for "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" and Best Urban/Fusion Performance for "TQG".

The all-Spanish Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran album was released on 22 March 2024 through Sony Music Latin. Her first studio album in nearly seven years, after El Dorado (2017), Shakira called the creative process "alchemical" and said that it turned her "tears into diamonds" and her "vulnerability into strength". The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran debuted at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 34,000 album-equivalent units sold in its first week. It debuted atop the Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts, making Shakira the first woman with number one albums across four decades on the Billboard Latin album charts. It was certified seven-times platinum (Latin) upon release. "Puntería", a collaboration with American rapper Cardi B, was released as the eighth single in tandem with the album, followed by "(Entre Paréntesis)" as the album's ninth and final single on 25 March. "Puntería" reached number one on the Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, and the Regional Mexican Airplay charts, her first chart-topper on the latter. On 26 March, Shakira held a free pop-up concert in New York's Times Square, where, despite the short notice, an unprecedented crowd of over 40,000 fans assembled. On 12 April 2024, at Coachella Festival in California, Shakira made a guest appearance during Bizarrap's set, performing their two collaborations.

On 14 July, Shakira performed several of her hits at the 2024 Copa América final, Argentina vs. Colombia match, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It was the first halftime show at a soccer championship game. On 25 September, she released the single "Soltera". Topping the Latin Pop Airplay chart and reaching number two on Latin Airplay, it tied her with Enrique Iglesias for the most number ones on the former and third-most top-tens on the latter chart. Shakira received three nominations at the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran and Song of the Year for "(Entre Paréntesis)". At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran received the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.

The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour commenced in February 2025, her first tour since 2018. Initially planned to begin in North America in November 2024, the tour was rescheduled to begin in February 2025 in South America, reportedly due to demand for larger venues in the U.S. Amidst high demand, a number of dates were added across multiple countries and 90 shows were eventually scheduled to play. In addition to the Americas, Shakira planned to take her show to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The tour broke several sales records and became the highest-grossing Latin tour ever, with $421.6 million generated and 3.3 million tickets sold.

Shakira performed with Wyclef Jean on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 6 May 2025 for the 20th anniversary of "Hips Don't Lie". On 23 May 2025, Shakira and Alejandro Sanz released the duet "Bésame", their third collaboration.

On 22 October, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pies Descalzos and the 20th anniversary of the two Oral Fixation albums, Shakira released a five-track EP recording of a Spotify concert featuring live versions of past hits. She performed with special guests Luis Fernando Ochoa, Ed Sheeran, Beéle, and the New York Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.
 

Artistry

Music executive Freddy DeMann, who managed Shakira's career from the early 2000s, spoke of her: " I was blown away by how gorgeous she was in person. She's a brilliant songwriter. She has an unbelievable voice; her vocal instrument is phenomenal and unique. She dances better than anyone out there, and she writes her own songs, sings her own songs, and she actually plays her own instruments. And she produces her own music. She's the whole package".

 

Music influences and styles, works

Shakira has been characterised as a "legacy artist". "The Colombian hitmaker", wrote the Billboard reviewers, "is intentional in her songwriting with raw lyrics, meticulous as a producer and an extraordinary performer bringing to life the songs that define not only her eras but those of women across generations." Her texts relate to women and their vulnerabilities. "Pushing the envelope" with "Se Quiere, Se Mata" on Pies Descalzos, "she sang about the dangers women face with unsafe abortions when there's no legal option". Shakira's vocal style was described as "warbling", her songwriting as "confessional", and the content of her verbal creations as "poetic". Her music is "underpinned by two things: rock guitar and Latin rhythms".

In 2017, Deutsche Welle journalist Kate Müser commented on Shakira's "globalised sound": (her) "Latin beats, spiced with Middle Eastern and other world elements and made comfortably familiar by being churned through the pop machine, make you feel like a citizen of the world". Müser quoted the Rolling Stone magazine's comparison of Shakira with her contemporaries and rivals, American female pop idols: "the stylistic breadth of Shakira's music – elements of folk, Middle Eastern and traditional Latin styles over a foundation of rock and pop – gave her a degree of credibility the American teen queens lacked". (Shakira's) "globalized sound could be a healthy escape [...] in times where national boundaries are being fiercely defended and cultural differences become points of contention", she wrote.

Black hair rock era of Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones?

From her early teens, Shakira was influenced by rock music, listening heavily to such bands and performers as Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Nirvana, The Beatles, the Police, The Cure, Tom Petty, and Aerosmith. According to Shakira, "Underneath Your Clothes" (2001) is where she shows her devotion to the music of the Beatles. "I was so in love with that rock sound" – she said. Her other influences included Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Marc Anthony, and Van Morrison. She cited Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" as the song that made her appreciate the power of the electric guitar and "kick-started her passion for music".

Shakira recalled her early convictions as follows: "There was no doubt for me, ever. Call it a premonition, call it an instinct. I was born to do this, to connect with a wide audience. The calling I have is the same reason why a dog barks. I always knew I would be a big performer and a public figure". Yet, she is a person of extreme humility, "hesitant to take credit for her own success", "bonded with her massive audience by sharing with them their awestruck worship of her public persona". She credited Gloria Estefan for "opening a big heavy door that was closed for many years" for Latin musicians in the United States, facilitating the kind of progress that Shakira herself was able to make later.

As Lucas Villa wrote in October 2020, "25 years ago [...] a raven-haired rockera from Barranquilla, Colombia made her mark" with a "LP called Pies Descalzos, or 'Bare Feet'. With full creative control, 18-year-old Shakira bared her soul, and the world was introduced to her strikingly poetic lyricism. In the 1998 Dónde Están los Ladrones? album, she blended Latin rock with elements of pop and Middle Eastern music, lyrics and dance influences that reflected her Lebanese heritage. After so many years of artistic and personal evolution of the "girl with the electric guitar", Villa said, the "free-spirited Shakira essence remains the same". [...] "Shakira is still that rockera. She's still that pop star."

Shakira's orthodox rock skills were on display most prominently during her original Tour Pies Descalzos. Its 118 shows lasted for two years, from October 1995 to October 1997 (for example, the 1996 Tour Pies Descalzos concert at Mexico City's Auditorio Nacional, or the Viña del Mar 1997 concert in Chile). Then, during Tour Anfibio (2000), and then again, in different rock renditions, during the Tour of the Mongoose (2002–2003), of which the Rotterdam concert was published as the Live & off the Record record set.

Shakira's earlier albums, from "her black-haired rock era", Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones?, are primarily rock with elements of folk music. Pies Descalzos (1995), featuring assertive sound, "direct lyrics and personal aesthetic", utilising aspects of reggae, dancehall, bossa nova and bachata among its styles, "put Shakira on the map internationally". The album's anthems are "Estoy Aquí" (the "I'm Here" opening, reassuring declaration of the artist), "Antología", "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?", "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos", "Se Quiere, Se Mata", "Un Poco de Amor" (sung and danced with Howard Glasford, then with Adjetey Osekre), "Te Necesito", "Quiero", "Vuelve", "Te Espero Sentada" (bossa nova), and "Pienso en Ti", sung at tour performances in an expanded version.

In 1996, Shakira gave a very different, classic and "elegant" ballroom-dance performance at a Banco Popular de Puerto Rico function.

In Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998), Shakira "unleashes a maelstrom of infectious energy" with a mesmerising voice of which there is no other, "a deep vibrato" that "leaves listeners spellbound". She displays her "bohemian rockera persona" and, through "powerful balladry" and "lyrical depth with incisive social commentary", demonstrates wisdom beyond her age. "Her songwriting shines throughout" in "Ciega, Sordomuda", a song that "defined the sound of Latin music going into the new millennium" (mariachi-utilising music written jointly with Estéfano), and on such tracks as "Moscas en la Casa", "No Creo", "Inevitable", "Octavo Día", "Tú", "Si Te Vas", "Dónde Están los Ladrones?", or "Que Vuelvas". The closing "Ojos Así" (music co-written by Pablo Flores and Javier Garza, music video directed by Mark Kohr) is famous for its "boundary-pushing musical fusion" as well as modern Arabic and other dance routines, done by Shakira and the background dancers and displayed on the song's video.

 

Laundry Service

With her first mostly-English album, Laundry Service (2001), and later works, Shakira diversified into various pop music genres, pop rock and Latin pop. In late 2002, she presented her thinking on the subject as follows: "I always fantasised about being a rock star more than a pop star, but rock 'n' roll is a little harder on yourself, more rigid. Mick Jagger will never be able to put away his tight trousers. Pop always gives you the opportunity to metamorphose. But there is some kind of dignity in the world of rock 'n' roll that you can't find in pop music. So I like to walk right in the middle and jump back and forth.

Laundry Service is a pop and rock album, influenced by other genres and styles. The singer credited this to her mixed ethnicity and background, saying, "I am a fusion. That's my persona. I'm a fusion between black and white, between pop and rock, between cultures – between my Lebanese father and my mother's Spanish blood, the Colombian folklore and Arab dance I love and American music." Shakira was the first Latin crossover artist to attain critical acclaim from the mainstream U.S. rock press. She claimed that her motivation for entering the English-speaking market was strictly intellectual: being exposed to new cultures, building bridges, and growing as a person. "I just feel that my playground is larger now. I now talk to different cultures, and I hope that I can bridge those gaps and differences between us. It's an adventure, a dream... I feel like I'm on an anthropological mission,"—she told Ted Kessler of The Observer in July 2002. On the day she spoke to him, Shakira had 18 interviews followed by other scheduled activities, which Kessler characterised as "promotional treadmill", even if "poetically romanticised" by the singer.

The Arabic music and Middle Eastern music elements exerted a strong influence on "Ojos Así", a world hit from Dónde Están los Ladrones?. Its English version, "Eyes Like Yours" was included on Laundry Service. Musical styles from different South American countries surface on the album. Tango, a style of fast-paced ballroom dance that originated in Argentina, Shakira sings in its rock version, "Objection (Tango)" / "Te aviso, te anuncio (tango)". The uptempo track features a bridge in which Shakira delivers "a genuinely peculiar rap". The Guardian reviewer Alexis Petridis marvelled at Shakira's lyrics: "thought-provoking lines", "bewildering lyrical iceberg" and "non sequiturs so eccentric", all rendered with an unyielding conviction by "her powerful voice leaping octaves to add emphasis". He then sarcastically observed that "sniggering media pundits have suggested Ripoll (Shakira) can't actually understand what she is singing". The rock piece "Poem to a Horse" "mixes Nirvana-influenced guitars with a soul horn section to mind-boggling effect. Petridis found Laundry Service's "ramshackle production and imponderable lyrics" to be "striking and unique".

Shakira said in 2002: "My music, I think, is a fusion of many different elements. And I'm always experimenting. So I try not to limit myself, or put myself in a category, or... be the architect of my own jail." She had been inspired by the music of Asia, and in particular by Indian music, which influenced her works, including dancing. Proud of her Arab ancestry, she told Portuguese TV, "Many of my movements belong to Arab culture." South American folk music, especially Andean music, had influenced her, and she had used its native instrumentation, most notably in "Whenever, Wherever" / "Suerte", Shakira's grand anthem and the song which "established her as a global superstar" (its music was co-written by Tim Mitchell, English words by Gloria M. Estefan). In the Spanish and English videos, the artist features "her signature iconic hip-swivelling dance moves". Laundry Service also includes the dance-pop track "Ready for the Good Times", the ballad "The One, "Underneath Your Clothes" (music co-written by Lester Mendez), "Que Me Quedes Tú", and other songs.

According to Isabelia Herrera, the "Underneath Your Clothes" (a power ballad) video was the Colombian singer's self-aware introduction to Anglo audiences" and the intentionality of its beginning (the verbal exchange with the journalist who asks her to speak English) "was the crux for her metamorphosis into an international supernova". Herrera wrote of Shakira's "inimitable warble" in her singing, that she excels "in her meditations on erotic power" and that "through power ballads and post-grunge vengeance, Shakira empties her body, harnessing anguish and devotion and tracing a blueprint for so many young people's journeys of femme self-discovery". She called Laundry Service "a formidable compendium of Shakira's sonic and corporeal world".

Laundry Service established "Shakira's legacy as a pop chameleon". Her later forays into different music genres can be traced back to the hybrid vision initiated on her crossover album.

 

Fijación Oral, vol. 1, Oral Fixation, vol. 2 and She Wolf

The Spanish language Fijación Oral, vol. 1 (2005) features "La Tortura" with Alejandro Sanz, reggaeton beats and dancehall elements. The popular song was also on English-language stations. The album consists mostly of pop songs. Besides "La Tortura", "No", "Día de Enero" and "Las de la Intuición were issued as singles. The music of the last highly melodic synth-pop song and of "La Tortura" was composed jointly by Shakira and Luis Fernando Ochoa. There are also the ballads "La Pared" in two versions and "Día Especial". The classic "Obtener un Sí" is a tribute to traditional bossa nova. The whole album was produced by Shakira.

 

The English Oral Fixation, vol. 2 (2005), a sister album, followed and brought Shakira back "into mainstream pop and rock". The outstanding and most successful song of the set is "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean. It mixes salsa with reggaeton and cumbia and utilises a sample by Jerry Rivera. "Don't Bother" represents continuity of Shakira's work with guitar rock, while "Illegal" brings collaboration with Carlos Santana. On Oral Fixation, she explores, as usual, "new musical territories". Several of the songs represent "off the beaten path", unconventional but striking pop/rock, with the sometimes underappreciated Shakira's English lyrics, for example ", How Do You Do", "Costume Makes the Clown", or "Animal City". The last piece comes with music co-written by Luis F. Ochoa and includes an intriguing contraposition of rock guitars and Latin horn section, utilised among other seemingly disparate musical elements. Music for the ballad "Something" was also co-written by Ochoa. Cabaret-like sounding "Hey You" and the romantic ballad "Your Embrace" have music co-written by Tim Mitchell. The music of the ballad "Dreams for Plans" was co-written by Brendan Buckley. Lyrics and music of the protest song "Timor" are by Shakira alone. Vol. 2 was also produced by Shakira.

 

She Wolf (2009) is primarily an electropop album that contains, in the first place, the "She Wolf" celebrated anthem and its Spanish equivalent "Loba". With its electronic, clubby sound ("in keeping with the current dancefloor-friendly sounds of Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé"), the album contrasts sharply with the music Shakira had released before. The English and Spanish versions of the "She Wolf" song came with videos, in which the 32-year-old singer proffers a "more unabashedly sexed-up presentation". The Billboard reviewer wrote of "a bluntness to her urges only hinted at in her previous work". According to Shakira, "She Wolf" represented her being "a little more in touch with my desires and a little more empowered or encouraged to satisfy those desires and set them free. It's something that just comes with time. I probably would not have written a song like this when I was 20". Whereas Shakira ostensibly preached female sexual liberation, the "She Wolf" song had become an anthem for the LGBTQ movements, which the artist has supported. As for the She-wolf character, Shakira said "I think people are craving fantasy". She termed She Wolf a "sonic experimental trip" and said she researched folk music from different countries, including "Oriental and Hindu music, dancehall, etc." Among the songs on the record, there are "Good Stuff", the Spanish and Oriental in character "Años Luz" or "Why Wait", "Did It Again" or "Lo Hecho Está Hecho", and "Men in This Town", which possibly epitomizes the intended club dance spirit of the album.

 

Sale el Sol and Shakira

Shakira's next album, the mostly-Spanish Sale el Sol (2010), was meant to be a return to her beginnings and is therefore very different from its predecessor. It comprises ballads, rock songs, and Latin dance songs. Reggaeton, merengue and cumbia are among the styles utilised in the eclectic album. The English and Spanish versions of the previously released Waka Waka were included. Shakira collaborates with El Cata on "Loca", with Pitbull on "Rabiosa" and with Residente on "Gordita". Residente raps about "liking Shakira better when she was chubbier, had dark hair and was a rockera".

Sale el Sol opens with a melodic rock "Sale el Sol" song written by Shakira and L. F. Ochoa. The ballad "Antes de las Seis" was composed with Lester Mendez. Merengue pop "Addicted to You", despite its title, is sung mostly in Spanish. The sorrowful ballad "Lo Que Más" is the work of Shakira and Albert Menéndez. "Islands" is her cover of the song of the same name by the xx.

With the Shakira (2014) album, Shakira retreats, for the most part, into the mainstream pop/rock/adult contemporary/country music range. Before its release, she introduced the album as follows: "I am enough. Imperfections and all. So what I am offering you now is just that. Shakira. Nothing more. A little bit of rock, a little bit of folk, a little reggae and naturally some dance—but as always, and above all, a lot of heart". The best-known songs on the record are the ballad Empire, reggae rock "Can't Remember to Forget You" featuring Rihanna (or sung by Shakira alone as "Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte"), and "Dare (La La La)", a version of which was a theme song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. "Chasing Shadows" has been called "a sublime electro-pop moment". The country pop song "Medicine" features Blake Shelton.

 

El Dorado

El Dorado (2017), named after the City of Gold envisioned by the Muisca people of Colombia, "shines with resounding versatility and cultural pride" and provides the listener with "a rich musical treasure trove". Among the album's hits are the reggaeton "Chantaje" with Maluma and vallenato "La Bicicleta" with Carlos Vives. Shakira utilises the styles of música urbana. "Me Enamoré" refers to Shakira's love for Gerard Piqué back then, and it starkly contrasts with the narrative of her next album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. In "Toneladas", a ballad written with Luis Fernando Ochoa, Shakira "highlights her emotive prowess, being happy with "toneladas masivas de amor" ('massive tons of love'). "Deja Vu", "a sensual bachata fusion", features Prince Royce. According to the Billboard reviewers, however, the message of the song "When a Woman" contrasts with the empowering essence of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran sharply and in an unsettling way.

There are many melodic items in this set. The ballad "Nada" was composed by Shakira and L.F. Ochoa. "Amarillo" was also written by them. The reggaeton "Perro Fiel" features Nicky Jam. Shakira sings "Trap" with Maluma. The stylistically unique, nostalgic "Comme moi" is given in two versions. Black M sings and raps in French in one (this one comes with a video), and Magic! in English in the other.

 

Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran

Being "dragged down" by her partner Gerard Piqué, as Shakira told it, it took her seven years before her next album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (March 2024), was released. Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, a rich collection of 16 songs, was born out of their breakup and associated with Shakira's emotions. "In a stunning transformation", the artist turned her pain into musical gold, one of her most acclaimed creations. She utilized a variety of moods and genres, including Afrobeats in "Nassau, "soul-stirring" bachata in "Monotonía", or Tex-Mex rhythms in "(Entre Paréntesis)". "Cómo Dónde y Cuándo" is "a stellar revival" of Shakira's rock roots.

Describing herself as being in a survival and reflection stage, Shakira "celebrates the strength of womanhood". As she continues "to craft melodies and lyrics that evoke pain, passion and allure", she sings by herself in such tracks as "Tiempo Sin Verte" and "Última", or collaborates with Cardi B, Karol G, Ozuna, Grupo Frontera, or Rauw Alejandro. With Argentine DJ Bizarrap she first produced "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53", the "wildly unapologetic kiss-off" to her ex and an iconic "female empowerment anthem". Las Mujeres features two versions of "Vol. 53". The song's video shows Shakira and Bizarrap performing in the studio. At Times Square, the Tiësto remix was used with her singing and dancing.

In the opening electropop "Puntería", Shakira sings, Cardi B sings, and raps, and the action in the video takes place in a mythological setting. "La Fuerte" is another electropop piece done with Bizarrap. The pop rock "Tiempo Sin Verte" is a "punchy alternative track fused with subtle dance melodies", in which Shakira "chants in her potent rockera vocals". "Cohete", a brilliant, pulsating dance-pop pearl with "a futuristic allure", she sings with Rauw Alejandro. The piano ballad "Última" was the last song that Shakira insisted on adding to the album. She wanted to tell "about coming to terms with the end of her relationship and leaving the past behind". The video for the track was done on a cold day in New York City subway system. "Te Felicito" was the first single released by Shakira for her planned album. Another collaboration with Rauw Alejandro, this reggaeton electropop song "sets the tone for Shakira's no-holds-barred attitude" with respect to her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran lyrics. The reggaeton hit "TQG" and the video Shakira recorded with Karol G; its "fierce and unapologetic" lyrics were motivated by their comparable personal experiences. The "Acróstico" ballad is "a heartfelt, yet poignant open letter from Shakira to her two children". Milan and Sasha sing and play the piano alongside their mother. "Copa Vacía", another reggaeton track sung with Manuel Turizo, is known for its Shakira-mermaid video. "El Jefe" and its video were recorded with regional Mexican band Fuerza Regida. According to Shakira, "it's about abuse of power".

Boutayna Chokrane wrote that Shakira's Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is "a brutally honest look at her breakup" in which the singer "signals a deliberate and timely return to her roots". But "at its core", it is "a pop album for a mainstream audience"; the artist "takes big swings and extends her dominance".

In September 2024, Shakira released the lively, Afrobeats-influenced "Soltera" song. Focused at this point on her sons and career, she extols the virtues and pleasures of living without a male partner. The song was followed in October with its video, which "is all about a carefree night out with friends", mostly Shakira's fellow female celebrities. In May 2025, "Soltera" brought Shakira the Favorite Latin Song award by the American Music Awards, which made her the most-awarded female Latin artist in the award show's history.