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If anyone was wondering what hue might dominate Shakira’s long-awaited return to the music scene after a seven-year hiatus, the answer was painted in bold strokes over a year ago.
Teaming up with Argentine DJ Bizarrap, the Colombian sensation unleashed “Bzrp Music Sessions Vol. 53,” a scorching lyrical takedown aimed squarely at her ex-husband, Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, cementing her status as the reigning she-wolf of the music industry.
That sizzling, rhythmically relentless track, dripping with shade, now finds its place among the 16 offerings on Shakira’s latest musical venture, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” (“Women No Longer Cry”), scheduled to drop this Friday.
In a star-studded affair, Shakira’s collaborators read like a who’s who of the music world, featuring the likes of Cardi B, Ozuna, Rauw Alejandro, Grupo Frontera, Karol G, Fuerza Regida, and even superstar DJ/producer Tiësto, who puts his spin on the Bizarrap hit.
Thematically, Shakira is all about turning the page, as she emphasized in a recent tête-à-tête with The Sunday Times, highlighting the sacrifices made for love during her relationship with Piqué: “For a long time, I put my career on hold to stand by Gerard’s side, so he could chase football dreams. There was a lot of love, but also a lot of sacrifice.”
Echoing this sentiment, she explained to The New York Times her creative approach to dealing with life’s curveballs: “If life throws lemons at you, make some lemonade. That’s exactly what I did with this album — channeled my frustrations, anger, and sadness into creativity. I transformed pain into productivity.”
What is the best song on Shakira’s new album?
While some tracks from her 12th studio album, such as “Te Felicito” with Alejandro and “Monotonía” with Ozuna, have already solidified their spots in the hearts of fans, it’s the collaboration with Cardi B on the album opener “Punteria” that truly steals the spotlight.
Set to an irresistible dancefloor beat, the bilingual track, loosely translated as “takes aim,” sees Shakira crooning about the allure of wrong choices feeling oh-so-right, punctuated by Cardi B’s signature fiery verses.
Shakira’s velvety vocals seamlessly blend with Cardi’s sharp lyricism, with lines like “I’m a pretty little thing from face to feet/I’m from the Bronx but I got a Georgia peach” adding an extra layer of sass and attitude.
Together, they form a dynamic duo, setting the stage for an album that effortlessly transitions between infectious Latin rhythms and soul-stirring ballads, all while championing the cause of female empowerment.