Whenever, wherever, Shakira is going to share her truth. The Queen of Latin music appeared The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Monday (March 25) and opened up about her former relationship with soccer star Gerard Pique and how it stopped her from creating a full-length album.
The three-time Grammy winner, who appeared on the evening's show to promote her new album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran [Women No Longer Cry]told the comedian that the reason for the seven-year gap between her last collection and 2017 El Dorado it was her ex. “I've put out music here and there, but I think it's been really hard for me to put together a body of work,” said the Colombian superstar. “I did not had time. It was the husband factor.”
“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'm free! Now I can actually work!”.
The musician continued to open up in the interview, sharing her grief and recovery processes. “I was trying to rebuild myself and music was the glue, but it felt like it was an alchemical process where I turned pain and anger and frustration into creativity and productivity and strength and resilience,” the singer-songwriter explained discussing the alternate gem-themed covers of her new album. “The durability of a diamond. That's why I chose the gemstone metaphor, because of the resilience that we women have today when we're faced with adversity,” Shakira told Fallon.
The star also spoke about societal expectations for women to hide their pain and conform to certain standards of treatment, an idea she vehemently rejects. The title of her new album embodies that sentiment, with the singer explaining: “It's the men's turn [to cry] now. Now women [should] decide when to cry, how to cry and for how long. No one should tell us how to deal with life's difficulties.”
During her appearance at The Tonight Show, the singer also performed “Puntería,” featuring Cardi B. Shakira, dressed in white baggy pants and a rope top, began her set seated. Amid iridescent curtains and a pearl backdrop that displayed a giant diamond on the screen, Shak was flanked by two female dancers and as they stood up they were joined by two more, all wearing matching outfits as they danced in unison to the electro-pop song.
Before the performance and the interview, the show started with the superstar they take a playful lie detector test. “Everything connected?” Fallon asked Drew Barrymore, who made a guest appearance as a technician.
“We're ready,” she replied.
“You know what to do, Shakira,” Fallon said over the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 by Shak, “Hips Don't Lie.” With cables hooked to her hips, the Barranquilla artist began twirling them in classic Shakira fashion.
“It's checked, they're telling the truth,” replied a serious Barrymore.
“Her hips don't lie,” Fallon added, nailing the punch line.
Watch his 'Puntería' performance and lie detector test below and Shak's full interview above.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/shakira-gerard-pique-dragging-me-down-1235641365/
