Colombian pop idol Shakira is back and she’s bringing the heat! Her newest album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran came out at the beginning of April 2024 amid her separation from her boyfriend Gerard Piqué in 2023. She explores her grieving process through various music styles, bringing in several other fantastic Latin-American singers of different genres. Since Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran has been on repeat for me non-stop, I thought I’d highlight a few of my favorite songs from the album that have found their way into my daily music rotation!
1. “Copa Vacía” (Ft. Manuel Turizo)
“Copa Vacía” preludes the album’s theme of healing, as it is reminiscent of Shakira acknowledging the spark dying in her relationship and being desperate to fix it. Turizo’s verses are integrated with hers, sharing the same concerns about their relationship falling apart before they knew it, and that there’s not much left to do. The song comes from a place of hopeless infatuation, which sets up a tone for the beginning of the album.
2. “Tiempo Sin Verte”
“Tiempo Sin Verte” is Shakira’s reflection on the end of her relationship, and mulling over what went wrong. It’s an initial denial of heartbreak, in which she hopes that she and her partner can put this behind them like before because she misses him in her life. I love her vulnerability in this song, as it describes a universal girl’s experience of missing someone after they’re out of your life.
3. “Cómo, Dónde y Cuándo”
In “Cómo, Dónde y Cuándo,” Shakira sees how despite losing someone important in her life, she is slowly starting to feel like herself again. When she sings “It only exists today/Tomorrow hasn’t come yet/And yesterday is gone,” she recognizes that dwelling on the past means nothing once it’s gone, and there’s only hope living in the present. She experiments with a rock sound for this song, which I think is an excellent choice since it fits the theme of the song so well!
4. “te Felicito” (Ft. Rauw Alejandro)
Shakira’s sadness switches to rage in “Te Felicito,” as she begins to reflect on how much time she wasted trying to repair her relationship, despite her partner’s actions being at fault. Now that she knows her partner has never meant what he says, she “congratulates” him on being such as good actor during their relationship, and makes it known she’s done with his game. The tone shift of the album here is so powerful, and trust me when I say this song was added to the breakup playlist immediately after I heard it for the first time!
5. “TQG” (Ft. Karol G)
One of my favorite songs off of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran has to be “TQG,” as it is the perfect hype song for when it’s one of those days. Shakira and Karol G are so well-matched in this song, and the “That Girl” energy is so strong because of it. She acknowledges her worth and knows that no matter how hard he tries, her ex is never going to find someone to measure up to her. So girls, if you’re ever feeling down on yourself about a man, just a quick listen to “TQG” is sure to make you forget all about him!
Conclusion
Despite having gone through the hardships she did in 2023, Shakira bounced back like it was nothing! Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is a beautiful reflection of grieving, healing, and self-love, with songs that master a rollercoaster of emotions so elegantly. The album has already been trending in Latin America and the States, as it hit No. 13 on the overall Billboard 200 the week of its release. Since then, Shakira has hinted at a world tour for the album, which she announced at Coachella this past weekend, so if you’re a fan, get your tickets soon!