When life provides you lemons, it’s important to make lemonade — and that is precisely what Shakira did after heartbreak. When the Colombian pop star discovered in 2022 that Gerard Piqué, her accomplice of 11 years and the daddy of her two sons, was dishonest on her, I am certain it felt as if her life was falling aside. However when she could not bear the ache and the betrayal, she did what most musicians do — she turned it into artwork.
The primary music Shakira launched that was straight associated to the breakup was 2022’s “Te Felicito” with Puerto Rican Latin entice artist Rauw Alejandro. The music not solely marked Shakira’s comeback, it was additionally the primary in a string of singles that will show her therapeutic journey to the world and finally grow to be a part of her newest extremely anticipated album, “Las Mujeres Ya no Lloran,” which was launched on March 22.
Following “Te Felicito,” a sarcastic music about congratulating her ex for locating new love, Shakira launched a success music with Ozuna titled “Monotonía.” However it was Shakira’s well-known diss observe that redirected her profession. The observe “Shakira: Bzrp Music Periods, Vol. 53,” a collaboration with Argentine producer Bizarrap, resonated a lot with followers that it racked up greater than 63 million YouTube views in 24 hours, changing into the most-watched Latin debut music in YouTube historical past. The music additionally skyrocketed to Spotify’s Prime 50 World chart, breaking the file of the most-streamed observe in a single day in Spotify historical past, and finally it landed Shakira the Latin Grammy for music of the yr.
And it is the music that in the end set the theme for her first album in seven years. “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” is actually a line taken from “Shakira: Bzrp Music Periods, Vol. 53,” solely within the observe she completes the thought by singing “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan,” which interprets to “Ladies do not cry anymore, they money in.”
Each music Shakira launched in 2022 and 2023 performed a distinct function within the Colombiana’s therapeutic and rebuilding course of. “TQG,” a observe in collaboration with Karol G that additionally appeared in her 2023 album “Mañana Serà Bonito,” is a music about being too good for a person who harm her — referring to Piquè and Karol G’s ex Anuel AA. “Copa Vacía” is a pop-reggaetón music she did in collaboration with Colombian singer Manuel Turizo about not receiving sufficient love and affection from a accomplice, whereas “El Jefe” is a norteño Mexican music with Fuerza Regida about taking management of your future, one thing followers have witnessed the artist do since publicly asserting her break up. “Última” is a transferring observe that Shakira instructed the New York Instances is the final music she’s going to launch about her ex Piquè.
“Within the journey of choosing up the items after a really public breakup, Shakira is exhibiting us that though goals do not all the time develop into what we envisioned them to be, she shouldn’t be shying away from her scars,” says Nicolas Barili, an award-winning journalist and creator/host of Paramount+’s Latin music docuseries “De La Calle.” “By controlling her personal narrative, Shakira is empowering listeners to be impressed by her daring transformation, whereas proving to our group and the world that vulnerability is the best power.”
What makes this album such a masterpiece is not simply the journey we see Shakira absorb therapeutic her heartache, however the way it invitations hope and new beginnings. Tracks like “Cohete” with Rauw Alejandro and “Puntería” with Cardi B acknowledge the attract of experiencing a brand new love — although Shakira has shared she will’t think about herself falling in love once more.
Then there’s “Acróstico,” a wonderful piano-led ballad that emphasizes Shakira’s function as a mom and contains her two sons, Milan and Sasha. This one stood out most to Barili.
“Having been raised by a single mother myself, the love letter between her and her sons speaks to these of us which might be what’s left over after mother and father break up, reminding us that some bonds won’t ever be damaged,” Barili says. “Shakira has supplied a cathartic launch for not solely herself however for anybody that has ever gone by break ups, all whereas proving that she continues to be the queen of Latin pop.”
“La Mujeres Ya No Lloran” is Shakira’s first album in seven years since releasing her 2017 album “El Dorado.” If this album did something, it proved that the best and most impactful artwork is commonly created from ache and heartache — therefore Shakira’s diamond tears displayed within the cowl artwork.
“It is the identical purpose why an artist’s debut album is commonly their greatest work, as a result of wrestle typically elicits masterpieces,” says Jesús Trivino, a Latin popular culture professional and Tidal’s senior content material and music govt. “Equally, each time there are challenges in your life, you are taking it as an expertise and be taught from it. Should you’re a inventive like Shakira, you dive into your work, and normally introspective, empowering music comes out. With ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,’ Shaki has completed that.”
That Shakira’s extraordinary comeback album is full of back-to-back hits and main collaborations with artists together with Cardi B, Rauw Alejandro, Ozuna, and extra additionally speaks to how related she’s managed to stay regardless of how saturated the Latin music world has grow to be. If something, the breakup wanted to occur to encourage her to make use of her ache, anger, and disappointment to create her rawest and most susceptible work. As she has mentioned in quite a few interviews, the expertise allowed her to “rework ache into productiveness.”
“One of many superstars who began the late ’90s, early 2000s Latin growth nonetheless has it and by no means misplaced it. Shakira, greater than different Latin acts of that period, needed to introduce herself and a complete nation (Colombia) to the US and world market,” Trivino says. “On this album, she’s uplifting her fellow Colombianas (Karol G), co-signing the celebrities of right now (Rauw Alejandro), in addition to shining a light-weight on different genres (Mexican music). I hope listeners do not waste their time in gossip however moderately get pleasure from Shakira in all her greatness whereas she’s on this planet.”
Typically it takes our worlds falling aside to get us again consistent with our ardour and our function. One factor is for certain: our favourite loba is right here to remain.