The countdown arrived in Times Square nine months early on Tuesday night (March 26), where thousands of people flocked to the iconic tourist destination, not to watch the famous New Year's Eve ball but Colombian superstar Shakira.
The artist surprised her followers with a “pop-up” concert announced a few hours earlier on her social media and around 40,000 fans, according to figures provided by the organizers, responded to her call to celebrate her first LP after seven years. Las Mujeres Ya No Lloranreleased last Friday.
A huge electronic billboard covering part of a skyscraper announced the free show with a clock counting down to its start. Around 7:30 p.m. ET, the crowd roared with excitement from ten to zero, and two large doors hidden in the jumbotron opened to reveal the TSX Stage, and Shakira opened with her No. 1 Hot 100 hit “Hips Don't Lie.”
“Hello New York! Oh my God, this is amazing, absolutely crazy,” he said in Spanglish soon after. It's so great to see you again, to sing for you… Nothing compares to this. Thank you so much for all the love you have given me this week during the release of my new album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. And thank you, thank you, thank you for showing up.”
Dressed in black pants and a top with silver embellishments, the self-proclaimed She-Wolf thrilled the crowd by singing live, along with a band and a group of dancers, songs such as “Te Felicito”, “TQM”, “Cómo Dónde y Cuándo” and ” Puntería”, before closing with the smash hit “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”
“I'm happy to be here surrounded by my Latin people,” said the 14-time Latin Grammy winner and three-time Grammy winner. “Thank you New York. Until next time. I love you very much.”
Tuesday's show was co-produced by TSX Entertainment, with presenting partners ViX, Vinfast and Sony Music Latin. It happened the day after Shakira's performance The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonwhere she performed 'Puntería' and spoke candidly about her former relationship with soccer star Gerard Piqué and why it's taken her so long to release a new LP since 2017. El Dorado. “I am husbandless now,” declared She-Wolf. (Shakira and Piqué — who announced their split in 2022 — never married during their 11-year relationship, but have two sons.) “The husband dragged me down. Now I am free. Now I can really work.”
Watch part of Shakira's performance in Times Square below:
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/shakira-times-square-free-pop-up-show-1235642186/