★★★★☆
Colombian pop star Shakira released her first album in seven years, marking both a comeback and re-direction in the Latin artist’s life. Released on Friday, March 22, the album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran gives listeners an insight into Shakira’s new era of her life, both personally and professionally.
In Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, a title borrowed from lyrics of the diss track she released in January 2023 in response to her highly publicized breakup from Gerard Piqué, Shakira has reinvented herself.
“While writing each song, I was rebuilding myself,” Shakira said in an interview with Billboard. “While singing them, my tears transformed into diamonds, and my vulnerability into strength.”
In Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore) Shakira collaborated with different urban artists such as Cardi B, Rauw Alejandro, Grupo Frontera, and Bizarrap to establish a new pop style while maintaining a deeply personal voice in her songs.
Shakira has been known worldwide since her first best-selling album Servicio de Lavandería (Laundry Service) in 2001. Over the years, with songs like “Loba” and “Hips Don’t Lie” on top of her groundbreaking dancing skills, Shakira gained publicity and has navigated a very successful, yet public life.
With her 2022 break up with Piqué, her husband of 11 years, and a Spanish tax fraud case in 2018, Shakira has had a tumultuous few years.
The album, composed of 17 tracks, includes “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” the previously released track about her break-up that earned her the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs Song Of The Year award in addition to a new Tiësto remix of the song.
“Yo solo hago música, perdón que te salpique,” she sings, translating to “I only make music, sorry if I splashed you,” subtly mentioning her ex’s name in Spanish.
Songs like “La Fuerte” and “Acróstico – Milan y Sasha” take a vulnerable turn, showcasing Shakira’s new meaning of life and the realization that her two sons are the true loves of her life.
“Me enseñaste que el amor no es una estafa,” she sings in “Acróstico,” which translates to “You taught me that love is not a scam,” referring to her two sons, Milan and Sasha, whom she also included in the title.
On a more playful side, the album includes “Te Felicito,” featuring urban artist Rauw Alejandro, as well as the instant pop-hit, “Puntería” with Cardi B that adds a fun ambiance to the album along with her usual promiscuous lyrics.
Collaborating with Mexican band Fuerza Regida, Shakira even added a new Mexican feel in “El Jefe,” a song dedicated to her children’s nanny, Lilly Melgar, as Shakira expresses her deep gratitude toward her.
All these songs give the listener a glimpse of Shakira’s personal life, away from the tabloids and paparazzi.
The album cover depicts a close-up portrait of Shakira shedding tears of glitter, which turn into diamonds, symbolizing her resilience and strength. This album cover reflects on her transformation in the past few years of her life, which resulted in a creative process that has allowed her to rebuild her personal life while also returning to her passion for composing music.
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is Shakira’s way of entering a new realm of her music, detached from the strings of past relationships and life circumstances. She shows her listeners that pain is inevitable and a natural part of life, and that this new chapter of her life has enabled her to realize what is truly important to her.
