Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll 

(/ʃəˈkɪərə/ shə-KEER-ə, Spanish: [(t)ʃaˈkiɾa]; born 2 February

1977)[4] is a Colombian singer and songwriter.[5] Born and raised in Barranquilla, Shakira has
been referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music"[6][7] and is noted for her versatility in music.[8][9]
[10]
 She made her recording debut under Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Following the
commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to
prominence in Hispanic countries with her next albums, 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. Buoyed by the
international number-one singles "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes", the
album propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Broadcast Music, Inc., the largest
music rights organization in the United States, described Shakira as a pioneer who extended
the global reach of Latino singers.[11]
Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el
Sol (2010), and El Dorado (2017), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and
were certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, her
English albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009) and Shakira (2014) were all
certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide. Some of her songs
have charted at number one in multiple countries, including "La Tortura", "Hips Don't Lie",
"Beautiful Liar", "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", "Loca", and "Chantaje". Shakira served as
a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The
Voice (2013–2014).
With a catalog of 145 songs, Shakira has sold over 80 million records which have made her
one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[12] Forbes reported that as of 2018, Shakira has
become the female Latin artist who has sold the most albums in history.[13] She is credited with
opening the doors of the international market for several Latin artists who would follow after
her.[14][15][16][17]Shakira has received numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards,
twelve Latin Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards,
thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, six Guinness World Records and a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade
by Billboard twice (2000s and 2010s).[18][19] For her philanthropic work with her 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. She was appointed to
the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the US in
2011, and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012.

Contents

 1Early life
 2Career
o 2.11990–1995: Beginnings
o 2.21995–2000: Latin breakthrough
o 2.32001–2004: English transition with Laundry Service
o 2.42005–2007: Fijación Oral, Volumen Uno and Oral Fixation, Volume Two
o 2.52008–2010: She Wolf
o 2.62010–2015: Sale el Sol and Shakira
o 2.72016–2020: El Dorado and Super Bowl LIV
o 2.82021–Present: Upcoming twelfth studio album and Dancing with Myself
 3Artistry
 o 3.1Influences
o 3.2Dance
o 3.3Singing
 4Legacy and impact
o 4.1Monuments
 5Achievements
 6Other ventures
o 6.1Philanthropy, humanitarian work and politics
 7Personal life
o 7.1Financial controversy
 8Discography
 9Tours
 10Filmography
o 10.1Television
o 10.2Film
 11See also
 12References
 13Further reading
 14External links

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. She is of Colombian and
Lebanese descent.[20][21] Her father William was born in New York City to a family from Lebanon.
When he was five, his family moved to Colombia.[22][23][24][25] Her Colombian mother side has
two Spanish surnames, Ripoll and Torrado, the former of which is Catalan and originates from
four brothers who immigrated from Catalonia to coastal Colombia in the 19th century.[26][27][28] She
has also claimed to have distant Italian roots through an ancestor with the surname "Pisciotti".
[29]
 The name Shakira (Arabic: ‫ )شاكرة‬is Arabic for "grateful", the feminine form of the
name Shakir (Arabic: ‫)شاكر‬. She was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools.[30] She has
eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage.[31] Shakira spent much of her youth
in Barranquilla, a city located on the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia. Shakira's business
acumen is often attributed to a high IQ, which is reported in the entertainment press to be 140.
[32][33]

Shakira wrote her first poem, titled "La rosa de cristal" ('The Crystal Rose'), when she was only
four years old.[34] As she was growing up, she was fascinated watching her father writing stories
on a typewriter,[34] and asked for one as a Christmas gift. She got that typewriter at age seven,
[34]
 and has continued writing poetry since then. These poems eventually evolved into songs.
When Shakira was two years old, an older half-brother was killed in a motorcycle accident; six
years later, at age eight, Shakira wrote her first song, titled "Tus gafas oscuras" ('Your dark
glasses'), which was inspired by her father, who for years wore dark glasses to hide his grief.[35]
When Shakira was four, her father took her to a local Middle Eastern restaurant, where Shakira
first heard the doumbek, a traditional drum used in Middle-Eastern music and which typically
accompanied belly dancing.[36] She started dancing on the table, and the experience made her
realize that she wanted to be a performer. She enjoyed singing for schoolmates and teachers
(and even the nuns) at her Catholic school, but in second grade, she was rejected for the
school choir because her vibrato was too strong. The music teacher told her that she sounded
"like a goat".[36][37] She says she had also been known as "the belly dancer girl", as she would
demonstrate every Friday at school a number she had learned.[36] "That's how I discovered my
passion for live performance," she says.[32][31] To instill gratitude in Shakira for her upbringing,
her father took her to a local park to 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."[31]
Between ages ten and thirteen, Shakira was invited to various events in Barranquilla and
gained some recognition in the area.[38] It was at this approximate time that she met local
theater producer Monica Ariza, who was impressed with her and as a result tried to help her
career. During a flight from Barranquilla to Bogotá, Ariza convinced Sony Colombia executive
Ciro Vargas to hold an audition for Shakira in a hotel lobby. Vargas held Shakira in high regard
and, returning to the Sony office, gave the cassette to a song and artist director. However, the
director was not overly excited and thought Shakira was something of "a lost cause".
Undaunted and still convinced that Shakira had talent, Vargas set up an audition in Bogotá. He
arranged for Sony Colombia executives to arrive at the audition, with the idea of surprising
them with Shakira's performance. She performed three songs for the executives and
impressed them enough for her to be signed to record three albums.[39]

Career
1990–1995: Beginnings
Shakira's debut album, Magia, was recorded with Sony Music Colombia in 1990 when she was
only 13 years old.[40] The songs are a collection made by her since she was eight,[41] mixed pop-
rock ballads and disco uptempo songs with electronic accompaniment. The album was
released in June 1991 and featured "Magia" and three other singles. Though it fared well on
Colombian radio and gave the young Shakira much exposure, the album did not fare well
commercially, as only 1,200 copies were sold worldwide.[36] After the poor performance
of Magia, Shakira's label urged her to return to the studio to release a follow-up record. Though
she was 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 perform their songs, and the winner was then chosen by a
panel of judges. Shakira performed the ballad "Eres" ("You Are") and won the trophy for third
place. One of the judges who voted for her to win was the then 20-year-old Ricky Martin,
[40]
 whose initial prominence had come from his membership in Menudo.
Shakira's second studio album, titled Peligro, was released in March, but Shakira was not
pleased with the final result, mainly taking issue with the production. The album was better
received than Magia had been, though it was also considered a commercial failure due to
Shakira's refusal to advertise or promote it. Shakira then decided to take a hiatus from
recording so that she could graduate from high school.[40] In the same year, Shakira starred in
the Colombian TV series The Oasis, loosely based on the Armero tragedy in 1985.[42] Since
then, the albums have been pulled from release and are not considered official Shakira albums
but rather promotional albums.

1995–2000: Latin breakthrough

Shakira originally recorded the song "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" (later released on her
album Pies Descalzos) for the compilation album Nuestro Rock in 1994, released exclusively in
Colombia.[43] The song was an instant success on radio stations in Colombia and Sony decided
to finance her third record, by giving her the last chance due to previous commercial failures.
Shakira returned to recording music under Sony Music along with Columbia Records in 1995
with Luis F. Ochoa, using musical influences from a number of countries and an Alanis
Morissette-oriented persona which affected two of her next albums.[44][failed verification] These
recordings spawned her third studio album, and her international debut album, titled Pies
Descalzos. Recording for the album began in February 1995, after the success of her single
"¿Dónde Estás Corazón?".
The album, Pies Descalzos, was released in October 1995 in the Latin American countries and
in February 1996 in the US. It reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin
Albums chart. The album spawned six hit singles, "Estoy Aquí", which reached number two on
the U.S. Latin chart, "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" which reached number five on the U.S. Latin
chart, "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" which reached number 11 on the U.S. Latin chart,
"Un Poco de Amor" which reached number six on the U.S. Latin chart, "Antología" which
reached number 15 on the U.S. Latin chart, and "Se quiere, Se Mata" which reached number
eight on the U.S. Latin chart.[45] In August 1996, RIAA certified the album platinum status.[46]
In March 1996, Shakira went on to her first international tour, named simply the Tour Pies
Descalzos. The tour consisted of 20 shows and ended in 1997. Also in that year, 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.[47] Pies Descalzos later sold over 5 million
copies,[48][49] prompting the release of a remix album, simply titled The Remixes. The
Remixes also included Portuguese versions of some of her well-known songs, which were
recorded as a result of her success in the Brazilian market, where Pies Descalzos sold nearly
one million copies.[38]
Her fourth studio album was titled Dónde Están los Ladrones? Produced by Shakira with Emilio
Estefan, Jr. as the executive producer it was released in September 1998. The album, inspired
by an incident in an airport in which a suitcase filled with her written lyrics was stolen, became
a bigger hit than Pies Descalzos. The album has reached a peak position of number 131 on
the U.S. Billboard 200 and held the top spot on the U.S. Latin Albums chart for 11 weeks. It
has since sold over 7 million copies worldwide[50] and 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone,
making it one of the best selling Spanish albums in the U.S. Eight singles were taken from the
album including "Ciega, Sordomuda", "Moscas En La Casa", "No Creo", "Inevitable", "Tú", "Si
Te Vas", "Octavo día", and "Ojos Así".
Shakira also received her first Grammy Award nomination in 1999 for Best Latin
Rock/Alternative Album.[51] Shakira's first live album, MTV Unplugged, was recorded in New
York City on 12 August 1999. Highly acclaimed by American critics, it is rated as one of her
best-ever live performances.[52] In March 2000, Shakira embarked on her Tour Anfibio, a two-
month tour of Latin America and the United States. In August 2000, she won an MTV Video
Music Award in the category of People's Choice – Favorite 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 and Best Short Form Music Video for the video for
"Ojos Así".[53]

2001–2004: English transition with Laundry Service

Upon the success of Dónde Están los Ladrones? and MTV Unplugged, Shakira began working
on an English crossover album.[54] She learned English with the help of Gloria Estefan.[55] She
worked for over a year on new material for the album. "Whenever, Wherever", called "Suerte"
in Spanish-speaking countries, was released as the first and lead single from her first English
album and fifth studio album throughout the period between August 2001 and February 2002.
The song took heavy influence from Andean music, including the charango and panpipes in its
instrumentation. It became an international success by reaching number one in most countries.
It was also her first success in the U.S., by reaching number six on the Hot 100.
Shakira before entering the stage to her Tour of the Mongoose in 2003

Shakira's fifth studio album and first English language album, titled Laundry Service in English-
speaking countries and Servicio De Lavanderia in Latin America and Spain, was released on
13 November 2001. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart,
selling over 200,000 records in its first week. The album was later certified triple platinum by
the RIAA in June 2004 as well.[56] It helped to establish Shakira's musical presence in the
mainstream North American market. Seven singles were taken from the album such as
"Whenever, Wherever"/"Suerte", "Underneath Your Clothes", "Objection (Tango)"/"Te Aviso,
Te Anuncio (Tango)", "The One", "Te Dejo Madrid", "Que Me Quedes Tú", and "Poem to a
Horse".
Because the album was created for the English-language market, the rock and Spanish dance-
influenced album gained mild critical success, with some critics claiming that her English skills
were too weak for her to write songs for it; Rolling Stone, for one, stated that "she sounds
downright silly" or "Shakira's magic is lost in translation".[57] A similar view was expressed by
Elizabeth Mendez Berry in Vibe: "While her Spanish-language albums sparkled with elegant
wordplay, this record is rife with cliches, both musically and lyrically. [...] For Anglophone Latin
lovers, Shakira's lyrics are best left to the imagination."[58] Despite this fact, the album became
the best selling album of 2002, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide.[59] and became
the most successful album of her career to date. The album earned her the title as the biggest
Latin female crossover artist in the world.[60] Around this time, Shakira also released four songs
for Pepsi for her promotion in the English markets: "Ask for More", "Pide Más", "Knock on My
Door", and "Pídeme el Sol". In Chicago Tribune, journalist Joshua Klein defined her
international ascent "as multilateral, multicultural and cooperative as they come."[61]
In 2002, at Aerosmith's MTV Icon in April 2002, Shakira performed "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)".
She also joined Cher, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Anastacia, and the Dixie
Chicks for VH1 Divas Live Las Vegas. In August, she performed "Objection (Tango)" at
the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, and won the International Viewer's Choice Award with
"Whenever, Wherever".[62] She also won the Latin Grammy Award for the category of Best
Short Form Music Video for the Spanish version of the video. 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, she embarked
on the Tour of the Mongoose with 61 shows occurring by May 2003. The tour was also her first
worldwide tour, as legs were played in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Shakira's label, Sony BMG, also released her Spanish greatest-hits compilation, Grandes
Éxitos. A DVD and 10-track live album, titled Live & Off the Record, was also released in 2004,
commemorating the Tour of the Mongoose.
2005–2007: Fijación Oral, Volumen Uno and Oral Fixation,
Volume Two
Shakira's sixth studio album, Fijación Oral, Volumen Uno, was released in June 2005. The lead
single from the album, "La Tortura", reached the top 40 on the Hot 100. The song also featured
the Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz. Shakira; Sanz and Daddy Yankee ("Gasolina") were the
first artists to perform Spanish language songs at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. The
album was extremely well received. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart,
selling 157,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold over two million copies in the U.S.,
earning an 11× Platinum (Latin field) certification from the RIAA. Due to its first week sales, the
album became the highest debut ever for a Spanish language album. After only a day of
release in Latin America, the album earned certifications. In Venezuela, it earned a Platinum
certification, in Colombia, a triple Platinum certification, while in Mexico demand exceeded
shipments and the album was unavailable after only one day of release. Four other singles
were also released from the album: "No", "Día de Enero", "La Pared", and "Las de la
Intuición". Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 has since sold over four million copies worldwide.[63] On 8
February 2006, Shakira won her second Grammy Award with the win of Best Latin
Rock/Alternative Album for Fijación Oral, Vol. 1.[64] She received four Latin Grammy Awards in
November 2006, winning the awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year for "La
Tortura", Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Fijación Oral, Vol. 1.[65]

Shakira performing at the Rock in Rio festival in 2006

The lead single for Shakira's seventh album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, "Don't Bother", failed to
achieve chart success in the U.S. by missing the top 40 on the Hot 100. It did, however, reach
the top 20 in most countries worldwide. Shakira's second English studio album and seventh
studio album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, was released on 29 November 2005. The album debuted at
number five on the Billboard 200, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. The album has gone
on to sell 1.8 million records in the U.S., and over eight million copies worldwide.[66]
Despite the commercial failure of the album's lead single in the U.S., it went on to spawn two
more singles. "Hips Don't Lie", which featured Wyclef Jean, was released as the album's
second single in February 2006. It would become Shakira's first number one single on
the Billboard Hot 100, in addition to reaching number one in over 55 countries. Shakira and
Wyclef Jean also recorded a Bamboo version of the song to serve as the closing ceremony
song of the FIFA World Cup 2006. Shakira later released the third and final single from the
album, "Illegal", which featured Carlos Santana, in November 2006. She then embarked on
the Oral Fixation Tour, which began in June 2006. The tour consisted of 125 shows between
June 2006 and July 2007 and visited six continents. In February 2007, Shakira performed for
the first time at the 49th Grammy Awards and earned the nomination for Best Pop
Collaboration with Vocals for "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean.
In late 2006, Shakira and Alejandro Sanz collaborated for the duet "Te lo Agradezco, Pero No",
which is featured on Sanz's album El Tren de los Momentos. The song 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.
In early 2007, Shakira worked with American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for the track
"Beautiful Liar", which was released as the second single from the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's
album B'Day. In April 2007, the single jumped 91 positions, from 94 to three, on
the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 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. The song earned
them a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Shakira was also
featured on Annie Lennox's song "Sing", from the album Songs of Mass Destruction, which
also features other 23 other female singers.[67] In late 2007, Shakira and Wyclef Jean recorded
their second duet, "King and Queen". The song was featured on Wyclef Jean's 2007
album Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant.
Shakira wrote the lyrics, and jointly composed the music, for two new songs that are featured
in the movie Love in the Time of Cholera, based on the acclaimed novel written by Colombian
author Gabriel García Márquez. García Marquez himself asked Shakira to write the songs.
[68]
 The songs that Shakira lent to the soundtrack were "Pienso en ti", a song from Shakira's
breakthrough album Pies Descalzos, "Hay Amores", and "Despedida". "Despedida" was
nominated for Best Original Song at the 65th Golden Globe Awards.

2008–2010: She Wolf

Shakira at the Rock in Rio festival in 2008

In early 2008, Forbes named Shakira the fourth top-earning female artist in music industry.
[69]
 Then, in July of that year, Shakira signed a $300 million contract with Live Nation, which was
to remain in effect for ten years.[70][71] The touring group also doubles as a record label which
promotes, but does not control, the music its artists release. Shakira's contract with Epic
Records called for three more albums as well – one in English, one in Spanish, and a
compilation, but the touring and other rights of the Live Nation deal were confirmed to begin
immediately.
In January 2009, Shakira performed at the Lincoln Memorial "We Are One" festivities in honor
of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She performed "Higher Ground" with Stevie
Wonder and Usher.[72] She Wolf, was released in October 2009 internationally and on 23
November 2009 in the U.S. The album received mainly positive reviews from critics, and was
included in AllMusic's year-end "Favorite Albums,"[73] "Favorite Latin Albums,"[74] and "Favorite
Pop Albums" lists.[75] She Wolf 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. She Wolf was certified double-
platinum in Colombia and Mexico, platinum in Italy and Spain, and gold in numerous countries
including France and the United Kingdom. The album sold 2 million copies worldwide,
becoming one of Shakira's least successful studio album to date in terms of sales.[76]

Shakira performing at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in
2009

In May, Shakira collaborated with the South African group Freshlyground to create the official
song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", which is
based on a traditional Cameroonian soldiers's Fang song titled "Zangalewa" by the group
Zangalewa or Golden Sounds.[77] The single later reached the top 20 in Europe, South America
and Africa and the top 40 in the U.S. and was performed by Shakira at the World Cup kick-off
and closing. It became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time.[78][79]

2010–2015: Sale el Sol and Shakira
In October 2010, Shakira released her ninth studio album, titled Sale el Sol. The album
received critical acclaim and was included in AllMusic's "Favorite Albums of 2010" and
"Favorite Latin Albums of 2010" year-end lists.[80][81] 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.[82] Commercially the album was a
success throughout Europe and Latin America, Sale el Sol peaked atop the charts of countries
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[83] and was Shakira's fifth album to peak at number one.[84] According to Billboard, 35%
of its first-week sales were credited to strong digital sales.[83] The album also peaked at number
one on both the Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts, achieving strong digital sales
in the region. The lead single, "Loca", was number one in many countries. The album had sold
over 1 million copies worldwide in 6 weeks,[85][non-primary source needed] and over 4 million since its release.
[86]

In September, Shakira embarked on The Sun Comes Out World Tour, in support of her two
most recent albums. The tour visited countries in North America, Europe, South America, Asia,
and Africa with 107 shows in all. The tour was met with positive reactions from critics, who
praised Shakira's stage presence and energy during her performances. On 9 November 2011,
Shakira was honored as Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and performed a cover
of Joe Arroyo's song "En Barranquilla Me Quedo" at the Mandalay Bay Events Center as a
tribute to the singer, who had died earlier that year.[87][88] In 2010 Shakira collaborated with
rapper Pitbull for the song "Get It Started", which was slated to be the lead single from Pitbull's
upcoming album, Global Warming. The single was released on 28 June 2012.[89] She was also
signed to Roc Nation under management purposes for her upcoming studio album.[90]
On 17 September 2012, it was announced that Shakira and Usher would replace Christina
Aguilera and CeeLo Green for the fourth season of the U.S. TV show The Voice,
alongside Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Shakira announced that she would focus on her
new album in the fall and eventually returned for the show's sixth season in February 2014.

Shakira at a press conference for the 2014 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony

Shakira originally planned to release her new album in 2012, but due to her pregnancy, plans
to release the single and video were postponed.[91][92] In December 2013, it was announced that
Shakira's new single had been delayed until January 2014.[93][94] Shakira's self-titled tenth studio
album was later released on 25 March 2014. Commercially the album debuted at number two
on the US Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 85,000 copies. By doing
so, Shakira became the singer's highest-charting album on the chart, although it also achieved
her lowest first-week sales figure (for an English-language album). The album spawned three
singles. After release the first two singles from the album, "Can't Remember to Forget You"
and "Empire".[95] RCA chose "Dare (La La La)" as third single.[96][97] The World Cup version was
officially released on 27 May to impact radio stations, features Brazilian musician Carlinhos
Brown. 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.[98] This performance
became her third consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup.[99][100]

2016–2020: El Dorado and Super Bowl LIV

Shakira began work on her eleventh studio album in the beginning of 2016.[101] In May 2016,
she collaborated with Colombian singer Carlos Vives on the track "La Bicicleta", which went to
win 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; though the song
was a track from the upcoming eleventh studio album, it was not intended to be the lead single.
[102]
 The song became Shakira's most-viewed YouTube video, with over 2.1 billion views as of 1
June 2018. On 7 April 2017, Shakira released the song "Me Enamoré" as the second official
single taken from her eleventh studio album El Dorado, which was released on 26 May 2017.
She also released the song "Perro Fiel" featuring Nicky Jam as a promotional single for the
album on 25 May 2017.[103] Its official release as the third single took place on 15 September
2017, the same date its music video, which was filmed in Barcelona on 27 July 2017, was
released.[104] Before being released as a single, "Perro Fiel" was already certified as gold in
Spain for selling over 20,000 copies on 30 August 2017.[105]
In January 2018, Shakira won her third Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for El
Dorado,[106] making her the only female Latin artist to do so. She then released "Trap", the
fourth single off the album and her second collaboration with Maluma.
The El Dorado World Tour was announced on 27 June 2017,[107][non-primary source needed] through Shakira's
official Twitter account, and was slated to be sponsored by Rakuten.[108] Other announced
partners of the tour were Live Nation Entertainment's Global Touring Division (which had
previously collaborated with Shakira on her The Sun Comes Out World Tour) and Citi, which
the press release named as, respectively, the producer and the credit card for the North
American leg of the tour.[109]
The tour, it was announced, would begin on 8 November, in Cologne, Germany. But due to
voice-strain related problems the singer experienced during her tour rehearsals, the date was
cancelled one day before the original tour schedule, and it was announced that it would be
rescheduled for a later date.[110] On 9 November, for the same reason, she also announced the
postponements to later dates, to be determined and announced, for both shows in Paris, as
well as the following ones in Antwerp and Amsterdam.[111][non-primary source needed] On 14 November,
Shakira made an announcement, through her social networks, in which she revealed that she
had suffered a haemorrhage on her right vocal cord in late October, at her last series of
rehearsals, and that she thus needed to rest her voice for some time to recover; this forced the
postponement of the tour's entire European itinerary to 2018.
The Latin American dates were expected to be announced later, when the tour resumed.
[108]
 There were plans to bring the tour, when it did resume, to countries such as the Dominican
Republic.[112] In addition, a journalist from the Brazilian edition of the Portuguese
newspaper Destak announced, on his Twitter account, that the Colombian singer would visit
Brazil the following March.[113][non-primary source needed] However, according to the same newspaper, due to
Shakira's hiatus to recover from her vocal-cord haemorrhage, the Latin American dates were
also postponed to the second half of 2018.[114][non-primary source needed] Eventually, Shakira did recover fully
from the haemorrhage she had suffered and resumed her tour, performing in Hamburg,
Germany on 3 June 2018.
In January 2018 she announced the dates for her El Dorado World Tour. She began the first
leg of her tour in Europe, starting in Hamburg, Germany on 3 June and then ending
in Barcelona, Spain on 7 July. She then spent a short time in Asia on the 11 and 13 July, after
which she went to North America. She started her time there on 3 August in Chicago and
finished in San Francisco on 7 September. Her tour dates for Latin America, started in Mexico
City on 11 October and finished in Bogota, Colombia on 3 November. Forbes ranked her
among the world's highest-paid women in music in 2019, at number 10.[115]
In February 2020, she and Jennifer Lopez performed for the Super Bowl LIV halftime show.
[116]
 According to Billboard, the halftime show had a viewership of 103 million people.
[117]
 On YouTube, it became the most viewed halftime show at that point in time.[118] Shakira
appeared in two television specials performing her songs during the COVID-19 pandemic,
including Global Goal: Unite for Our Future (with "Sale el Sol")[119] and The Disney Family
Singalong: Volume II (with "Try Everything").[120]

2021–Present: Upcoming twelfth studio album and Dancing

with Myself
In January 2021, Shakira sold her catalog of 145 songs to Hipgnosis Songs Fund. The
company did not disclose the financial details of the sale.[121]
On 16 July 2021, Shakira released a single titled "Don't Wait Up".[122]
In December 2021, Shakira was set to judge the dance competition series Dancing with
Myself on NBC.[123]
In January 2022, Shakira confirmed the release of her upcoming twelfth studio album in an
interview with Walt Disney World.

Artistry
On her music, Shakira has said that, "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."[124] Shakira has frequently stated she is inspired by oriental
music and Indian music, which influenced many of her earlier works.[125] She has also been
influenced by her Arab heritage, which was a major inspiration for her breakthrough world hit
"Ojos Así". She told Portuguese TV, "Many of my movements belong to Arab culture." She also
cites her parents as having been major contributors to her musical style.[126] She is also strongly
influenced by Andean music and South American folk music, using her native instrumentation
for her Latin dance-pop songs.[127]
Her earlier Spanish albums, including Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones? were a
mix of folk music and Latin rock. Her cross-over English album, Laundry Service and later
albums were influenced by pop rock and pop Latino.[128] "Laundry Service" is primarily a pop
rock album, but also draws influences from a variety of musical genres.[3] The singer credited
this to her mixed ethnicity, 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."[129]
The Arabian and Middle Eastern music elements that exerted a high influence on Dónde Están
los Ladrones?[129] are also present in Laundry Service, most prominently on "Eyes Like
Yours"/"Ojos Así".[130] Musical styles from different South American countries surface on the
album. Tango, a style of fast-paced ballroom dance that originated in Argentina, is evident on
"Objection (Tango)", which also combines elements of rock and roll.[3] The uptempo track
features a guitar solo and a bridge in which Shakira delivers rap-like vocals.[131]
She Wolf is primarily an electropop album that combines influences from the musical styles of
various countries and regions, like Africa, Colombia, India, and the Middle East.[132][133] Shakira
termed the album as a "sonic experimental trip", and said that she researched folk music from
different countries in order to "combine electronics with world sounds, tambourines,
clarinets, oriental and Hindu music, dancehall, etc."[134] Her 2010 album, Sale el Sol, is a return
to her beginnings containing ballads, rock songs, and Latin dance songs like "Loca".[135][136] In
2017, Deutsche Welle's journalist Kate Müser commented on Shakira's "globalized 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."[137]

Influences
Led Zeppelin, Shakira's biggest influence early in her career

As a child, Shakira was influenced by rock music, listening heavily to rock bands like Led
Zeppelin,[138] the Beatles, Nirvana,[139] the Police and U2,[140] while her other influences
included Gloria Estefan, Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Marc Anthony, Meredith
Brooks and the Cure.[141][142]

Dance
Shakira is well known for her dancing in her music videos and concerts.[143] Her distinctive
dancing style is said to combine Latin dancing with Middle Eastern belly dancing,[143][144] which is
derived from her Lebanese heritage,[143] and her hip shaking is mentioned in songs, such
as Fifth Harmony's "Brave Honest Beautiful".[145] She is noted for usually employing minimal
production, usually taking the stage with minimal makeup and natural hair, and without
background dancers in her performances, preferring to focus on her vocals, dance moves, and
stage presence.[146] She often performs barefoot,[143][146] a form of dance she learned as a young
teen to overcome her shyness. She also mentioned in an MTV interview that she learned how
to belly dance by trying to flip a coin with her belly.[143]

Singing
Shakira is a contralto.[147][148] Shakira is known for her "unique and mesmerizing" singing voice
which includes her "trademark" yodeling.[149] Analyzing Shakira's cover of "Je l'aime à
mourir", vocal teacher Beth Roars also noted Shakira's use of yodeling, explaining that there is
"heaviness at the bottom of her tone" which "flips up" into "her head voice", as well as her
ability to execute "complex melisma". She also noted Shakira's use of "Arabic scales", then
stating that she uses "harmonic minor scales instead of pentatonic scales".[150][151]

Legacy and impact

See also: Cultural impact of Shakira
Shakira is the first artist of the rock en español generation to become a star in the U.S. So for her, crossing over meant a
linguistic, but not stylistic, switch. This allowed her to preserve a creative continuity regardless of language.
—Los Angeles Times' Agustin Gurza, 2006.[152]

Shakira is a prominent figure in Latin music, commonly hailed as the 'Queen of Latin
Music'[153] for her crossover to the global market which holds a big significance that The New
York Times called her the "Titan of Latin Pop" for her unique and leading position in Latin
music, saying: "Even as a new generation of Spanish-speaking artists are crossing over into
American music's mainstream, Shakira's output stands alone."[154] A similar comparative
perspective was made by The Independent, who named Shakira an "International Phenom" for
her global appeal and sales statistics, further elaborating with "To put her in perspective, other
Latin exports such as Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez are mere minnows next to Shakira, both
selling half the number of records she does".[155] Forbes has deemed Shakira as "crossover
phenom" for her unmatched success of crossover[156] and one of the world's most powerful
Latinas.[157] Forbes further listed Shakira as one of the world's most powerful female celebrities.
[158]
 AllMusic's biographer Steve Huey described her as a "Wildly inventive diva who created a
cross-cultural pop sound rooted in her native Colombia but encompassing nearly every territory
in the world. [...] she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in the process gained
a reputation as one of Latin music's most ambitiously poetic lyricists."[2] Her unprecedented
crossover has inspired other Latin American artists to attempt crossing over, one example is
Mexican pop star Paulina Rubio, having MTV saying "there's no question that Shakira opened
doors in this country for artists like Rubio to succeed."[159] Similarly Spin credits Shakira to have
paved the way for other Latin artists to crossover, naming names like Maluma and J Balvin.
[160]
 After the crossover, her global and mainstream presence became big enough
for Time magazine to call Shakira a "pop legend."[161] She was marked as "one of the most
influential artists of the 21st century" by ET.[162] Throughout her career, Shakira has earned
several titles, including "The Crossover Queen" by The Economist,[163] "The Queen of World
Cup" by Billboard,[164] and "Latin America's Pop Queen" by Pitchfork.[165] Billboard has also noted
that Shakira's music videos have "redefined the role of dancing in music videos", while listing
her as the best Latin female music video artist of all time.[166] The Middle Eastern newspaper El
Correo del Golfo credits Shakira with "having opened the way" for several Hispanic singers
today.[167]

Statue of Shakira at Barranquilla, Colombia in March 2008

The authors of Reggaeton, published by Duke University Press, credited Shakira for
popularizing the genre (reggaeton) in North America, Europe, and Asia,[168] while the Public
Broadcasting Service called her one of the three "most successful artists of the so-called
Golden Age of Latin Music which reshaped America's cultural landscape for the twenty-first
century".[169] Alongside her impact on Latin and mainstream pop culture, Shakira has also
impacted popular culture in the Arab World due to her popularity in the region. In a publication
titled Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media, author Andrew
Hammond credits Shakira for impacting and shifting the images of Arab pop stars such as
Moroccan Samira Said and Lebanese Nawal Al Zoghbi, saying "[they] have shifted their image
and sound in attempt to follow in her (Shakira's) footsteps".[170]
In 1999 Shakira's MTV Unplugged became the program's first episode to be broadcast entirely
in Spanish [171] The concert is also noted to be the first time a Latin pop act attempted an
Unplugged, as well as the first Latina solo act to do so.[172] In 2001 Shakira's "Whenever
Wherever" music video was aired on MTV with both the English and Spanish versions.
According to a spokesman for the channel, this is noted as "the first time that U.S. MTV has
aired a Spanish-language video."[173] Following Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" by five months, "La
Tortura" was one of the first full Spanish-language music videos to air on MTV without an
English version.[174] In 2005, Sanz and Shakira performed "La Tortura" at the MTV Video Music
Awards.[175] In 2006 "Hips Don't Lie" was selected as one of the greatest songs by 21st century
female artists by National Public Radio, ranked at number 65.[176] "Waka Waka (This Time for
Africa)" was named by Billboard the best and most commercially successful World Cup song.
[164][177]
 Published by the US Bureau of International Information Programs, the journal Global
Issues (2006) cited Shakira as an example of a celebrity "in today's globalized world" who
"made it big by sharing the uniqueness of their talent and culture with the global
community."[178] In 2020, The New Zealand Herald found Shakira's longevity in the industry
"particularly impressive given her ability to breach the lines of crossover, a feat not many artists
have been able to achieve."[179] A similar remark was made by Paper magazine, when writing
about Shakira's longevity and her being one of the few pre-digital era artists to successfully
crack the digital-streaming era of music, penning "[Shakira] is a titan in the digital era of music
where she devours billions of streams with her catalog."[180]
In 2010, Google revealed that Shakira was the most searched female entertainer of the year.
[181]
 In 2020, Shakira was the most Googled musician of the year.[182]
In 2021, Vogue magazine Mexico chose her as the cover for its July edition.[183]
In December 2021 Shakira was named by Kiss FM as one of the most influential female artists
of the 21st century highlighting her achievements in the international market[184]
Many artists have cited Shakira as an influence, including Beyoncé,[185] Rihanna,[186] Taylor Swift,
[187]
 Selena Gomez,[188] Katy Perry,[189] Will.i.am,[190] Kylie Jenner,[191] Lauren Jauregui,[192] Christina
Aguilera,[193] Justin Bieber,[194] Fergie,[195] Maluma,[196] Karol G,[197] Camilo,[198] Nicky Jam,[199] Brie
Larson,[200] Dulce María,[201] Tini Stoessel,[202] Natti Natasha,[203] Rosalía,[204] Carla Morrison,
[205]
 Manuel Turizo,[206] Francisca Valenzuela,[207] Paloma Mami,[208] Natalia Lafourcade,[209] Kali
Uchis,[210] Ed Sheeran,[211] Farina,[212] Jbalvin,[213] Lele Pons,[214] Andres Cuervo,[215] Prince Royce,
[216]
 Romeo Santos,[217] Wendy Sulca,[218] Anitta,[219] Britney Spears,[220] Cardi B,[221] Rita Ora,
[222]
 Camila Cabello,[223] Becky G,[224] Nora Fatehi,[225] and Ayra Starr[226]
Shakira has even received the admiration of intellectuals and writers such as Nobel
Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez who has said "No one of any age can sing or dance with
the innocent sensuality Shakira seems to have invented".[34] Márquez wrote an essay exalting
Shakira's "phenomenal musical talent", and "extraordinary maturity".[155]
The newspaper El Correo del Golfo wrote that Shakira was the greatest exponent of Middle
Eastern music in the West, citing her interest in Arabic music and dance.[167]
Her influence has transcended the boundaries of pop culture, that she has become a socio-
political influencer, and was named as one of the "World's Greatest Leaders" of 2017
by Fortune.[227] The Guardian has written an extensive article about Shakira's impact on
Colombia's social change, specifically in education, and her ability to discuss this issue with
world leaders like Barack Obama, and Gordon Brown.[228] Similarly The Independent has
described Shakira as a "living proof that pop and politics mix" further noting that through her
efforts and influence she is able to have "the ears of the global political elite".[229]

Monuments
 In 2006, a six-tonne (6.6-short-ton), 5-metre-tall (16 ft) statue of Shakira was installed in
her hometown Barranquilla in a park near Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez.[230]
 In July 2018 Shakira visited Tannourine in Lebanon which is the village of her paternal
grandmother. During her visit she visited the Cedars Reserve in Tannourine where a
square in the forest was named after her. The square holds the name "Shakira Isabelle
Mebarak" [231]

Achievements
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Shakira
Shakira has received numerous awards and recognition for her work. She is the recipient of
three Grammy Awards and twelve Latin Grammy Awards—the most for a female artist.
  Shakira has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making her one of world's best-
[232]

selling music artists.[233] Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems said that "Hips Don't Lie" was the
most-played pop song in a single week in American radio history. It was played 9,637 times in
one week. Shakira became the first artist in the history of the Billboard charts to reach the
number one spots on both the Top 40 Mainstream and Latin Chart in the same week doing so
with "Hips Don't Lie".[234] Additionally, she is the only artist from South America to reach the
number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the Australian ARIA chart, and the UK Singles
Chart.[235]
Her song "La Tortura" at one time held the record for Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart,
appearing at number-one more than any other single with a total of 25 non-consecutive weeks,
a record currently held by the Luis Fonsi song "Despacito" with 56 weeks.[236] Nokia stated in
2010, that there were more Shakira music downloads in the prior year than for any other Latino
artist in the last five years, and She Wolf topped the Top 10 Latino downloads.[237] In 2010, she
was ranked number five on the 'Online Video's Most Viral Artists of 2010' with 404,118,932
views.[238] In 2011, Shakira was honored at the Latin Grammys as Latin Recording Academy
Person of the Year,[239] and by the Harvard Foundation as Cultural Rhythms Artist of the Year.
[240]
 She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6270 Hollywood Blvd.[241]
[242]
 Originally, she was to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004, but she
turned the offer down.[243] In 2012, she received the honor of Chevalier De L'Ordre des Arts et
des Lettres.[244] In 2014, Shakira became the first musical act to perform three times at the FIFA
World Cup.[100] In the same year, Aleiodes shakirae, a new species of parasitic wasp was
named after her because it causes its host to "shake and wiggle".[245][246] Forbes ranked Shakira
on their list of "Top 100 World's Most Powerful Women" at number 40 in 2012,[247] at 52 in 2013,
[248]
 and at 58 in 2014.[249] In 2015 Time recognized Shakira as one of the most influential people
on social media. Shakira and Argentinian president; Cristina Fernández de Kirchner were the
only Latin influencers named on the list. More so Time noted that Shakira has an "unparalleled
platform" on social media where she promotes her philanthropy.[250] In 2008, Shakira was
named as the Honorary Chair of the Global Campaign for Education Global Action Week.[251]
In 2018, Spotify included Shakira in the list of top 10 most streamed female artists of the
decade on the platform, making her the highest streamed Latin artist.[252] In 2020, Shakira
became the first female artist in history to have 4 songs from different decades to have over
100 million streams on Spotify, also marking her as the only artist with Spanish songs, the only
Latin artist, and third overall after Michael Jackson and Eminem to achieve this milestone.[253] In
2020 she broke the Vevo Certified Awards records, and set the record at 37, becoming artist
with the most videos with over 100 million streams ever. She is now worth $300 million.[254]

Other ventures
Shakira has ventured into many other businesses and industries. She acted in the
Colombian telenovela El Oasis in 1994, playing the character of Luisa Maria.[255]
Shakira began her own beauty line, "S by Shakira", with parent company Puig, in 2010.
[256]
 Among the first perfumes it released included "S by Shakira" and "S by Shakira Eau
Florale", along with lotions and body sprays. As of 2019, she has released 30 fragrances, not
counting deluxe editions.[257] On 17 September 2015, she was featured as a playable bird in the
game Angry Birds POP! for a limited time, and also in a special tournament in the game Angry
Birds Friends after a few weeks. On 15 October 2015, Love Rocks starring Shakira was the
first video game that featured the pop star.[258]
On 14 August 2015, at Disney's D23 Expo, it was announced that Shakira would play a
character in the Disney animated movie Zootopia; in it, she would give voice to Gazelle, the
biggest pop star in Zootopia. Shakira also contributed an original song to the film, titled "Try
Everything", which was written and composed by Sia and Stargate.[259][260] It opened to a record-
breaking box office success in several countries and earned a worldwide gross of over
$1 billion, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2016 and the 43rd highest-grossing film
of all time.
In December 2021, it was announced that Shakira would be an executive producer for Dancing
with Myself, an NBC dance competition series.[261]

Philanthropy, humanitarian work and politics

Main article: Pies Descalzos Foundation

Shakira, Alejandro Sanz and Juan Carlos I, The King of Spain during the Ibero-American Summit of El

Salvador

In 1997, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation, a Colombian charity with special
schools for poor children all around Colombia. It was funded by Shakira and other international
groups and individuals. The name of the foundation was taken from Shakira's third studio
album, Pies Descalzos, which she released in 1995. The foundation's main focus is on aid
through education, and the organization has five schools across Colombia that provide
education and meals for 4,000 children.[262] On 27 April 2014 Shakira was honored with the
Hero Award at the Radio Disney Music Awards for her Fundación Pies Descalzos work.[263]
In 2005, Shakira became a founding member of Latin America in Solidarity Action, a coalition
of artists and business leaders seeking to promote integrated early childhood public policies. In
2008, she served as the Honorary Chair of the Global Campaign for Education Global Action
Week. Later, in 2010, she collaborated with the World Bank and the Barefoot Foundation to
establish an initiative that distributes educational and developmental programs for children
across Latin America.[251]
Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is one of their global representatives. On 3
April 2006, Shakira was honored at a UN ceremony for creating the Pies Descalzos
Foundation.[264] In March 2010, she was awarded a medal by the UN International Labour
Organization in recognition of being, as UN Labour Chief Juan Somavia put it, a "true
ambassador for children and young people, for quality education and social justice".[265] In
November 2010, after performing as the opening act of the MTV European Music Awards, the
Colombian singer also received the MTV Free Your Mind award for her continuing dedication
to improve access to education for all children around the world.[266]
In October 2010, Shakira expressed disagreement with French president Nicolás Sarkozy and
his policy of expelling Romani people from the country.[267] In the Spanish edition of the
magazine GQ, she also directed a few words to Sarkozy, "We are all gypsies". In the interview
she made her viewpoint very clear: "What is happening now to them (the gypsies) will happen
to our children and our children's children. We must turn to our citizens to act for the
fundamental rights of human beings and condemn all that seems to us indictable", she
declared.[268]
In February 2011, the FC Barcelona Foundation and Pies descalzos reached an agreement for
children's education through sport.[269] Shakira was honored at the Latin Grammys as the Latin
Recording Academy Person of the Year on 9 November 2011, for her philanthropy and
contributions to Latin Music.[270] Also in 2011, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to
the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.[271] The World
Literacy Foundation announced Shakira as the recipient of the 2020 Global Literacy Award for
"her significant contribution to the improvement of literacy for disadvantaged children around
the world."[272]
On 2 November 2018, during a visit to her birthplace, Barranquilla, for the construction of a
school through her Barefoot Foundation (Pies Descalzos Foundation), Shakira spoke about the
educational policies of the government under Ivan Duque (President of Colombia,[273] 2018–
2022). Speaking against the government's intentions to reduce the national education budget
from 13% to 7%, she said, "This is unacceptable. It shows that instead of progressing forward
we are moving backward. We need to invest more in education and we need to build more
schools in places where there are none". She also talked about social inequality
and unschooling.[274] In 2020, Shakira was appointed by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as
a voters’ council member for the Earthshot prize which provides 50 environmental pioneers
with the funds needed to further their work in tackling major problems impacting the
environment.[275][276] In May 2020, Shakira donated more than 50,000 face masks and ten
respirators to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in her hometown of Barranquilla.[277] During
the 2021 Colombian protests, Shakira condemned the violence and asked President Iván
Duque Márquez to "immediately stop the human rights violations" and "restitute the value of
human life above any political interest."[278][279]

Personal life
Shakira began a relationship with Argentinian lawyer Antonio de la Rúa in 2000. In a 2009
interview, Shakira stated their relationship already worked as a married couple, and that "they
don't need papers for that".[280]
After 10 years together, Shakira and de la Rúa separated in August 2010 in what she
described as "a mutual decision to take time apart from our romantic relationship". She wrote
that the couple "view this period of separation as temporary", with de la Rúa overseeing
Shakira's "business and career interests as he has always done".[281] As first reported in
September 2012,[282] de la Rúa sued Shakira in April 2013, asking for $100 million he believed
he was owed after Shakira suddenly terminated her business partnership with him in October
2011.[283] His lawsuit was dismissed by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge in August
2013.[284]
Shakira entered a relationship with the Spanish football player Gerard Piqué, centre
back for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team in 2011.[285][286] Piqué, who is exactly ten
years her junior, first met Shakira in the spring of 2010, when he appeared in the music video
for Shakira's song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", the official song of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup.[282] Shakira gave birth to the couple's first son Milan on 22 January 2013
in Barcelona, Spain, where the family had taken up residence.[287] Shakira gave birth to their
second son Sasha on 29 January 2015.[288] Forbes listed Shakira and Piqué in their list of
"World's Most Powerful Couples".[289]
In 2020, Shakira announced her completion of an Ancient Philosophy course through
the University of Pennsylvania, describing it as an impractical hobby of hers.[290]

Financial controversy
In November 2017, Shakira was named in the Paradise Papers. It was revealed that she was
the sole shareholder of a Malta-based company which was being used to transfer $30 million
in music rights. Her attorneys insisted that her use of the company was entirely legal.[291]
In 2018, due at least in part to information revealed in the Paradise Papers, Spanish authorities
began an investigation into Shakira's finances.[291] Prosecutors argued that she did not pay
taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014, during which time she was living in Spain with Piqué
and their family, while Shakira argued that she maintained her primary residence in the
Bahamas during that period and otherwise was touring internationally. In July 2021, a Spanish
judge ruled that there was "evidence of criminality" sufficient for Shakira to be brought to trial
on charges of tax fraud.[292]
In 2021, the Pandora Papers showed that Shakira submitted applications for three offshore
companies in 2019. Her representatives told LaSexta that this paperwork was not filed for
purposes of establishing new companies but as part of the process of dissolving existing
companies. They further claimed that the companies had no income or activities and that
Spanish authorities had been made aware of their existence.[293]