Welcome back to The Deep Dives, where we take
a stack of sources and extract the core knowledge
you need to be perfectly informed. Today, we
are immersing ourselves in the world of an artist
whose career is less a straight line and more
a series of earth -shattering cultural pivots.
The one, the only, Shakira Isabel Mebarak -Ripoll.
We're examining a global force. And this deep
dive, it covers a career that spans over 30 years.
It's marked by massive commercial success, some
really profound artistic reinvention, and just
a staggering cultural influence. Yeah, it's no
exaggeration, right? She is universally referred
to as the queen of Latin music. Not at all. And
the numbers alone are just immense. I mean, she
had already sold over 95 million records worldwide
before the release of her recent album, Las Mujeres
Ya No Loran. Wow. And that significance goes
so far beyond just sales figures. What's truly
fascinating and what our sources really agree
on is that she is credited with popularizing
Hispanophone music on a truly global scale. Making
it mainstream in markets that were, you know,
previously completely inaccessible. Exactly.
There's even research suggesting her influence
has contributed to an increase in Spanish language
learning around the world. I mean, that is the
literal definition of a cultural phenomenon.
It really speaks to her role as a kind of bridge.
an anthropological mission, which I think is
a perfect description. So we're going to unpack
how she manages to be like a purist of Colombian
rock, a global pop chameleon, and an acknowledged
artistic link between the West and the East all
at the same time. That's our mission today. We
are going to trace that entire multifaceted trajectory.
from her rock -focused Colombian roots and those
early artistic failures. Which were pretty spectacular
failures, we should say. Right. Through that
seismic and very controversial global crossover,
all the way up to the record -breaking era that's
been fueled by the alchemy of her recent personal
pain. We're really looking at an artist whose
identity is defined by fusion and just this incredible
self -determination. She has a case study in
how to maintain authenticity while embracing
massive commercial change. Okay, let's unpack
this. starting with the very beginning of her
multifaceted life, deep in the cosmopolitan port
city of Barranquilla, Colombia. So we begin in
1977, and her birthplace, Barranquilla, is often
called the Golden Gate of Colombia. It's a major
port city, which really reflects her own blended
identity. Her heritage is an immediate clue,
isn't it? It was the key to the fusion sound
that would define her entire career. Absolutely.
She's the daughter of William Mubarak Chadid,
who is of Lebanese descent, and Nydia Ripol -Torado,
whose background is Spanish. And our sources
even find distant Italian roots through the surname
Picciotti in her ancestry. So it's a true cultural
crossroads. It is. She was raised Catholic, but
the cultural influences in that household were
anything but singular. And that creative seed,
it was planted. astonishingly early. At age four,
she wrote her first poem. Yeah, she called it
La Rosa de Cristal, or The Crystal Rose. And
this really established her as a storyteller
from the jump. This poetry would, you know, naturally
evolve into the deeply personal and often metaphorical
lyrics that we know her for. But the motivation
for her first actual song, which came just a
few years later, was rooted in some pretty profound
and tangible grief. It really highlights how
early her art became confessional. It's a really
heartbreaking story. When she was just two, her
half -brother died in a motorcycle accident.
He was only 19. Wow. And her father, who was
a jeweler, was just devastated. So six years
later, when Shakira was eight, she wrote her
first song, Gafas Oscuras. Dark glasses. Exactly.
It was a trial to her father, who wore dark glasses
for years, precisely to hide his grief and his
tears over the loss. To memorialize that pain
through a song at age eight, it just shows this
incredible maturity in her artistic approach
from the very beginning. And her cultural duality
starts showing up in her performance really early,
too. At age four, she discovers this powerful
cultural anchor from her father's side of the
family. Absolutely. Her father took her to a
local Middle East... restaurant. She heard the
doombeck. For anyone who doesn't know, that's
the very distinctive goblet drum that's foundational
to Middle Eastern music. And she just discovered
the art of belly dancing. And she was so captivated,
she just climbed up on a table to dance. Spontaneously.
Just got up and started dancing. And her parents
really nurtured this. I mean, it wasn't just
a childhood hobby. She was encouraged to demonstrate
her belly dancing talent every Friday morning
at her strict Catholic school. Which is just
such an amazing cultural contrast, right? You
have this Arabic movement being performed in
a Colombian Catholic convent setting. Incredible.
But this performance confidence, it did face
a significant setback, even if it was short -lived.
The famous rejection. She was rejected from the
school choir in the second grade. And the reason
was that her vibrato was deemed too strong. Not
just strong. The classmates gave this unforgettable
critique that she sounded like a goat. Like a
goat. Goat? Can you imagine? If someone told
me that in second grade, I would have pivoted
to accounting immediately. Something quiet. Right.
But for her, it seems to have just reinforced
the uniqueness of her emerging voice, which is
now famous for that warbling vibrato and that
yodeling technique she just powered through.
But there is a more serious element to her childhood
that planted the seed for what would become her
massive philanthropic work. This is a really
crucial foundation for understanding her character.
When she was... eight her jeweler father went
bankrupt oh wow she came back from a brief stay
with relatives in los angeles to find that their
cars their furniture even their color tv were
all gone and she had a really difficult time
adjusting to this sudden modesty so how did her
father handle that in a deeply impactful way
To instill in her a greater appreciation for
genuine hardship, he took her to a local park
in Barranquilla. To see what? To see children
living as orphans, scrounging for food, who were
facing real persistent poverty. And that image
just stayed with her. It instilled this early
and enduring desire to help children once she
finally became famous. So you have this confluence
of cultural background, personal tragedy -fueling
art, early musical rejection, and a commitment
to activism, all before she's even a teenager.
It really does lay the foundation for the complex,
driven woman she became. All those elements were
there from the start. Okay, so that really sets
the stage. Now, let's look at the actual launch
pad, her initial and very rocky start in the
music industry. Right. So she began gaining some
local recognition between the ages of 10 and
13. This led her to meet a local theater producer,
Monica Ariza, who managed to convince a Sony
Music Columbia executive, Ciro Vargas, to give
her an audition. And she sang three songs and
impressed them enough to get signed. Signed at
just 13 years old for a three -album deal. On
paper, it sounded like the breakthrough. But
the initial commercial results were? Yeah. Well,
they were disastrous. We were talking about staggering
failure here. Commercially, yes. Her debut album,
Magia, which came out in 1991, only sold a shocking
1 ,200 copies. Wait, 1 ,200 total? In her home
country of Colombia. That's almost unfathomable
for an artist who would go on to become one of
the best -selling musicians in the world. That
must have been a crushing blow. Yet she pushed
on to a second album, Peligro, in 1993. Peligro
was, uh... marginally more developed, but she
was deeply displeased with the final production
quality. She felt it was rushed and that it didn't
reflect her artistic vision at all. So she just
refused to promote it. Her dissatisfaction was
so strong that she refused to advertise or promote
the album, which, you know, naturally contributed
to its commercial failure. This early period
of having her vision compromised, it's why she
later generally refused to even acknowledge or
perform songs from those first two albums. It's
incredible to think that a future global icon
sold so few copies of her debut that she essentially
just disowned them. It seems like that experience
must have taught her a lot about creative control
later on. Precisely. That early failure, coupled
with her strong sense of self -determination,
it really solidified her need for creative autonomy.
She learned the hard way that if she wanted the
success to match the talent, she had to control
the product. But she did get some critical early
exposure, particularly at the Viña del Mar International
Song Festival in Chile in 1993. Yes, that was
a moment of validation. She won third place with
the ballad Heirs. And here's a cool detail from
the sources. One of the judges who voted for
her to win was none other than Ricky Martin.
Oh, wow. Who was already a huge star in the Latin
world. So it was a great early endorsement from
a major peer. And at the same time, her education
is intersecting with her budding career, providing
more material for her later activism. That's
right. She graduated from a convent secondary
school at 15. And the school required students
to do social service hours. Which involved what
exactly? It involved visiting the poorest areas
of town to help teach reading and writing to
unschooled children. So this requirement gave
her the sustained early exposure to the chronic
child poverty issues that would directly inspire
her humanitarian work, specifically the Barefoot
Foundation. So she had the talent, the drive,
the social conscience, and now this hard -won
lesson in creative control, but still no commercial
engine. That all changed dramatically with her
breakthrough Black Air Rock era. Between 1995
and 2000, the turning point was the success of
a single Donde Estas Corazon. from a compilation
album. That motivated Sony to finally commission
her to produce a full rock album under her complete
creative guidance. And this is where we get the
pivotal albums. Exactly. This is the era where
she defined herself as a dark -haired, raw, rock
-influenced artist. The angry young woman rock
attitude, as she was often described. She was
one of the foremost rockeras of the 90s Latin
scene. So what were the foundational musical
influences of this? black haired phase. It wasn't
just Latin rock, was it? No, not at all. Her
foundational influences were definitely Western
classic and alternative rock. Led Zeppelin, Nirvana,
The Police, The Cure, Tom Petty. She's even cited
Depeche Mode. Yes, their song Enjoy the Silence.
She said it kickstarted her passion for music
and made her appreciate the electric guitar as
an instrument of expression. But crucially, even
in this quote unquote rock era, the fusion we
talked about was already in full swing. So let's
break down the sound of Pies Descalzos. Bare
Feet. What did that actually sound like? That
album is praised for its assertive sound and
its direct personal aesthetic. While rock was
the foundation, she immediately incorporated
global sounds. You can hear reggae grooves, dancehall
rhythms, bossa nova, bachata guitar. It was a
clear sign that she would never be constrained
by a single genre. And some of the tracks were
already pushing social boundaries. Definitely.
Key tracks included Estoy Aquí, Antologia, and
the very controversial Sicchiae Semata. What
was that one about? She was already using her
platform to push the social envelope by singing
about the dangers women face with unsafe abortions
when legal options are unavailable. That is heavy
subject matter for a mainstream Latin artist
at that time. She wasn't just doing typical pop
songs. Not at all. She was injecting incisive
social commentary right from the start. Then
came Donde Estan Los Ladrones in 1998, which
truly broadened her global sonic palette. And
the title itself, Where Are the Thieves, came
from a really frustrating personal setback. Yes,
a stolen suitcase at an airport that contained
all of her written lyrics for the album. So she
turned that frustration into art. And musically,
what was its great contribution? This is where
that East -West link first... Becomes unavoidable.
Right. This is where it clicks globally. The
album was a crucial, successful blend of Latin
rock, pop and Middle Eastern music. And you must
be referring to. Ohosasi. Eyes like ears. Exactly.
Ohosasi became a global hit, not just a Latin
one. This was due entirely to those strong Arabic
connotations, the musical fusion and that striking
video. It infused clear elements of Arabic pop,
particularly in the instrumental structure and
her distinctive vocal ad libs. It resonated instantly
with audiences who weren't usually listening
to rock or Latin pop. So by the end of this era,
she was basically crowned. By 19, she was the
best selling female. pop rocker in Latin America.
She was officially named a national cultural
ambassador by the president of Colombia, a distinction
she shared with the Nobel Prize winning writer
Gabriel Garcia Marquez. That's incredible company
to be in. And Marquez, who became a friend and
a mentor, even wrote an essay exalting her talent.
He described her as having innocent sensuality.
Her MTV Unplugged in 1999 really cemented this
status in the US, though. It did. It was the
first Spanish -language broadcast for the series,
and it earned huge critical acclaim and won her
first album Grammy. She had successfully dominated
Latin music. She was the leader of the rockeros
and the stage goddess who connected with a massive,
dedicated audience. And that's the very definition
of having reached a ceiling. The sources explicitly
state that after the MTV Unplugged success, the
strategic decision was clear. To become a truly
global phenomenon, she had to record in English.
Which brings us right into part two, the crossover
conundrum, a period defined by massive overwhelming
success, but also a deeply fraught identity debate
that still follows her to this day. This move
was purely strategic. Tommy Mottola, who was
head of Sony Music at the time, called her an
absolutely brilliant artist and immediately saw
her crossover potential. Because of her, what
was it? universally catchy pop rock melodies,
cerebral lyrics, unwavering self -determination,
and natural sex appeal. The industry saw a star
with global architecture. So she had to master
English first. She dedicated herself to it, with
help from her label mate, Gloria Estefan. The
initial plan was simple, just translate her previous
album. But Shakira, exercising that creative
control she fought for, said no. She decided
she needed to write an entirely new album from
scratch to really capture the spirit of the English
language properly. And she immersed herself in
that creative isolation. Yes, she worked secluded
for a year in Uruguay and a rented house in the
Bahamas to write the material. The result was
the launch single that truly defined the crossover,
whenever, wherever. Por suerte, in Spanish. A
truly landmark track that showed she wasn't abandoning
her roots, just evolving them. That's the genius
of it. It took heavy influence from Andean music.
notably using instruments like the charango,
a small -stringed instrument, and the very distinctive
sound of the pan flute. So by weaving those traditional
non -Western elements into a massive, catchy
pop song, she made it both exotic and universally
appealing. And it became an international smash
hit, reaching number one in most countries globally.
That single was the perfect setup for the 2001
album Laundry Service. The commercial success
of the full album was just undeniable. Commercially,
it was a staggering triumph. It sold over 13
million copies worldwide. It's still the best
-selling album of all time by a female Latin
artist. It debuted high on the U .S. Billboard
200 chart at number three. But this is where
the identity debate became really heated. This
is the conundrum. It was a sharp critical and
cultural divide. Critics like Rolling Stone were
just brutal. They claimed her English was too
weak for deep songwriting, that her magic is
lost in translation. And that the lyrics were
downright silly and full of cliches, especially
when you compare them to the poetic Spanish of
her earlier work. Ouch. But others looked beyond
the literal translation and saw something new,
a unique form of expression. Exactly. Supporters
argued that she wasn't necessarily struggling
with English, but rather expressing herself in
this singular, sometimes surreal way, a unique
lyrical sensibility inherent to someone translating
complex Spanish poetic thought structures. into
english and the album has some fascinating musical
examples of this blend it really does objection
tango which is a genuine rock take on tango that
included a genuinely peculiar rap and poem to
a horse which mixed nirvana influence guitars
with a soul horn section this cultural and musical
pension gave rise to what our sources call a
deeply racialized debate among her followers
it was fierce the core question was was she selling
out the visual shift Dying her dark hair blonde
and singing in English was seen by some as abandoning
her essence. Transforming into a whiter, sexier
version of herself that was palatable for angle
audiences. There was a deep lament among some
loyal Latin fans that she had to dye her hair
blonde and bare her body to succeed in the U
.S. market. It felt like a betrayal of the rockera
she had been. That's a heavy weight to put on
an artist. How did Shakira herself respond to
this relentless, highly personal criticism? She
was extremely defensive of her motivations. She
adamantly stated that her roots were very well
planted in Latin America. She countered the hair
criticism by insisting the blonde color was purely
her own vanity. She just wanted to try something
new. But she took the defense one step further,
didn't she? She reframed the entire crossover.
She did. She described the move not as a career
change, but as an anthropological mission, an
adventure to build bridges, expose herself to
new cultures, and talk to different audiences
around the world, taking her Latin background
with her. It's a powerful reframing, turning
commercial calculation into a cultural mandate.
And that attitude is crucial for understanding
her legacy as a pop chameleon. Her ability to
hybridize genres and defy labels, which truly
started with laundry service, it became her signature.
She told newspaper this embrace of fusion offered
her the opportunity to remove any type of label
people want to place on me. So the tension between
commercial success and perceived authenticity
became a creative engine for her, and she wielded
her increasing control to manage that narrative.
Here's where it gets really interesting, that
control intensified as she planned her next era.
She wasn't content to simply conquer the English
market. She decided to dominate both markets
at the same time. And she took over production
entirely for laundry service and just continued
that high level of creative control throughout
her career. By the time she launched her next
massive era, she was wielding that power with
incredible precision. So moving on to part three,
this is where she stops being a controversial
crossover artist and becomes a genuine global
superstar defined by this artistic dualism and
strategic releases. This is the oral fixation
era. It was an incredible demonstration of creative
output and market strategy. She prepared for
this period by writing a staggering 60 songs.
60. 60. She selected 20 and strategically split
them across two albums separated by language,
both released in quick succession, Fijation Oral
Volume 1 in Spanish and Oral Fixation Volume
2 in English. The Spanish album came first and
immediately proved that her Latin market was
still fiercely loyal and growing. It was a massive
statement. Faya Sash and Oral, Volume 1, set
the record for the highest US debut ever for
a Spanish language album, debuting at number
four on the overall US Billboard 200. And the
lead single, La Tortura, was just dominant. It
set a record by remaining atop the Billboard
Hot Latin Track chart for a stunning 25 consecutive
weeks, and it was one of the first Spanish -language
songs performed at the MTV Video Music Awards.
But the defining moment, the one that cemented
her as a global force, came with the English
album's second single. Hips Don't Lie, featuring
Wycliffe Jean from 2006. Its impact is just.
It's still felt today. It's the essential Shakira
track, isn't it? Its impact can't be overstated.
It was her first U .S. Billboard Hot 100 No.
1, but more importantly, it hit No. 1 in over
55 other countries. A true global saturation.
For a time, it was the biggest -selling single
of the 21st century worldwide. And NPR noticed
something crucial about this track. It reversed
the standard crossover equation. That's right.
Often crossover artists have to sacrifice identity
to appease U .S. listeners. Hips Don't Lie did
the opposite. It mixed quintessential Latin elements,
salsa, reggaeton, and Colombian cumbia. Right.
Using a famous sample by Jerry Rivera. It wasn't
explicitly marketed as reggaeton, but it became
arguably the most widely known and biggest selling
song in the genre's history globally. It was
like a Trojan horse of Latin rhythms into the
Anglo world. With that level of dominance, her
career infrastructure, her business had to match
her global reach. It scaled up dramatically.
By 2008, Forbes named her the fourth top earning
female artist in music. And then came the contract
that speaks volumes. about her power and business
acumen. The Live Nation deal. In 2008, she signed
a huge 10 -year, $312 million contract with Live
Nation Entertainment encompassing tours, recordings,
sponsorship, and merchandise worldwide. That
deal is just monumental. It gave her massive
operational power and control over her own career
direction. She essentially became the CEO of
her own creative enterprise for a decade. Exactly.
It secured her ability to pivot artistically
without the constant oversight of a traditional
record label, which is exactly what she did next
with She -Wolf. She -Wolf from 2009 was a big
stylistic swerve, a sharp turn into something
very electronic and conceptual, moving away from
the fusion rhythms that made her famous. It was
a sonic experiment. It focused heavily on electropop
and clubby sounds described by her as a sonic
experimental trip. The thematic focus shifted
heavily toward female sexual liberation. She
said she couldn't have written those songs when
she was 20. The timing was important for that
thematic shift. It reflected a personal evolution.
She noted that this shift being more in touch
with my desires and embracing this unapologetic
sexuality required the maturity and confidence
she gained in her 30s. And it immediately resonated
with social movements, becoming an anthem for
LGBTQ movements. It did, which showcases how
her massive commercial hits consistently carry
a deeper, relevant social or cultural weight.
Speaking of global cultural weight, we have to
discuss her title as the World Cup Queen. Her
monumental contributions to the FIFA World Cup
are one of the most visible elements of her global
image. It starts in 2010 with Waka Waka, this
time for Africa. The official song for the South
Africa World Cup. And it was Genius Fusion again,
based on a Cameroonian folk song called Zangaleva.
And that track didn't just sell well, it became
a global standard. It sold over 4 million copies,
becoming the biggest selling World Cup song of
all time. It solidified her image as this unifying
multicultural force. And she reinforced this
by performing La La La at the 2014 Brazil World
Cup, marking her third consecutive appearance.
No other artist has achieved that level of global
sports dominance. After the heavy electronica
of She -Wolf, her 2010 album Sale El Sol felt
like a deliberate re -engagement with her artistic
foundation. It was explicitly described as a
return to her roots, mixing rock, ballads, and
specific Latin dance styles like merengue, cumbia,
and reggaeton. And what's really fascinating
is the track Gordita, which is this meta -commentary
on her own career. It is. Residente of Calle,
13 raps in the song about preferring Shakira
when she was chubbier, had dark hair, and was
still the original rockera. That is incredible.
So the internal identity debate about the blonde
hair and the crossover was so active, it literally
became a theme within her own music. It shows
she was listening and incorporating the criticism
into her art, embracing that duality. She wasn't
running from the debate. She was singing about
it. Around this time, she also took a deliberate
step into mainstream American television. Yes,
she served as a coach on The Voice during seasons
four and six, maintaining high visibility in
the U .S. market and collaborating with major...
stars like Rihanna on Can't Remember to Forget
You. She was navigating the mainstream without
sacrificing her creative output. And her next
era, El Dorado in 2017, shows her truly mastering
the versatility of the modern Latin music landscape.
Specifically embracing musica urbana or urban
music styles. El Dorado is a musical treasure
trove that just proves her versatility across
genres. It's highly acclaimed. It was primarily
Spanish language and dove headfirst into reggaeton
hits like Chantage with Maluma and the Grammy
-winning Valenado pop fusion La Bicicleta with
Carlos Vives. Well, Vienado is a traditional
Colombian genre, right? It is, and combining
it with Pop One record and Song of the Year Latin
Grammys. So she was mastering reggaeton and reviving
traditional Colombian sounds at the same time.
Fusion was her default setting. She also explored
bachata with Prince Royce on Deja Vu. And her
artistic breadth expanded beyond music charts
to film? Correct. She had a major voice acting
role as Gazelle in Disney's Zootopia and recorded
the song Try Everything for the soundtrack. The
album won her a third Grammy for Best Latin Pop
Album in 2018, making her the only female Latin
artist to achieve that feat. She truly became
the chief architect of her entire sonic universe,
which leads us to a crucial deep dive into her
artistry, the whole package. That holistic control
is key to understanding her legacy. She famously
defined her artistic identity as a fusion, but
she articulated it geographically and culturally.
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. She is the walking embodiment of globalization.
Let's focus on the architecture of that. Her
fundamental role as a songwriter and producer.
it's often overlooked because her dancing is
so iconic but she has written or co -written
virtually every song she has recorded across
three decades and she's praised for her fascinating
idiosyncratic songwriting her lyrics are consistently
described as poetic and confessional and she's
capable of weaving that incisive social commentary
right into a mainstream hit she's not just directing
she's hands -on with the instrument she is a
competent instrumentalist and has acted as a
producer on her own music She plays acoustic
and electric guitars on stage. A professional
guitar tech who worked on her tours noted she
is in complete control over the sound and aesthetic
of everything on stage. And we can't forget the
instrument that defined her earliest rock performances.
The harmonica, which she played extensively in
her pre -laundry service rock era. So what does
this all mean? She's not just a singer and dancer.
She's the chief architect of her entire sonic
universe. And she has the technical musical skills.
to back up that creative control exactly when
we talk about her voice and movement we are discussing
highly technical culturally specific skills that
trace directly back to her heritage she is a
contralto known for a unique and mesmerizing
voice and this is where we connect west and east
how do her arabic roots specifically shape her
vocal style Musicologists cite her Arabic roots
as shaping her vocal inflections and her use
of specific musical scales. For instance, she
frequently uses the double harmonic scale, sometimes
called the Byzantine scale, which is essential
to classical Middle Eastern music, or makam.
And in Western music, this scale sounds highly
dramatic and exotic. But for her, it's innate.
It's the sound of her father's culture, which
is why Ojos Asi resonated so deeply. She's bringing
the makam system of musical modes into Latin
rock and pop. That is the ultimate fusion. And
her signature movement complements this perfectly.
Her style fuses high -energy Latin dancing with
Middle Eastern belly dance, a skill she credited
with helping her overcome shyness. And she has
that famous anecdote about learning to belly
dance by trying to flip a coin with her belly.
A skill that requires an astonishing level of
physical control. It makes sense that she is
so uninhibited on stage. Her stage presence is
fascinatingly layered, though. It is. She has
always prioritized her vocals and dance moves,
initially relying on minimal production. She
loves performing for large crowds, saying the
stage and lights dress me, but has confessed
to feeling highly uncomfortable performing for
small, intimate groups. That speaks to the internal
pressure she manages. It does. She describes
herself as a control freak who is in total control
of her career. But she also admitted she is not
as confident as people think. Driven by a monster
inside of me that wants to do everything better
and right. It's a relentless perfectionism that
has defined her longevity. That desire for control
and perfection is the through line to the final
era we need to cover. Her recent massive resurgence,
fueled by one of the most publicly scrutinized
breakups in recent memory. This brings us to
part five. Philanthropy, legacy, and the alchemy
of pain. But first, we should quickly acknowledge
the enduring influence of her humanitarian work.
Let's detail the Barefoot Foundation, or Foundation
Pais Descalzos, founded in 1997. It's highly
significant because of its specific, tangible
mission. The foundation is dedicated to actively
building and maintaining state -of -the -art
schools and providing education, psychological
support, and meals for underprivileged children
in Colombia. And she's genuinely hands -on. She
personally supervises the operation, which is
why the foundation is a globally recognized model.
And the world has recognized this commitment
far beyond the music charts. Absolutely. She
was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, honored
as the Latin Recording Academy President. Person
of the Year and the Harvard Foundation Artist
of the Year. Her advocacy extends into the political
realm, too. I recall her speaking out very powerfully
during a controversial moment in U .S. politics.
That was her 2020 op -ed in Time magazine titled
The Parents of 545 Children Are Missing and the
Silence is Blaring. She strongly criticized U
.S. border and immigration policies concerning
family separation. And she strategically introduced
herself as the daughter of a New Yorker. emphasizing
her personal connection to the U .S. context.
Her influence is global. Fortune named her one
of the world's greatest leaders, and the French
government granted her the honor of Chevalier
of the Order of Arts and Letters. Looking at
her musical legacy before this new era, she had
already secured her place as a pioneer. She is
undeniably the first South American -raised artist
to achieve comprehensive global crossover success.
She is explicitly credited with opening the door
for the modern streaming era wave of global Latin
artists like Maluma, J Balvin, and Karol G. And
then came the seismic shift in her personal life,
the end of her relationship with Gerard Piquet,
which directly birthed her recent massive creative
resurgence. Their relationship lasted 12 years,
from 2010 to 2022, and they have two sons. The
breakup was intensely public. And she revealed
in interviews that she learned of his betrayal
via media accounts, which happened while her
father was hospitalized. This confluence of pain,
betrayal, and family illness provided the intense,
raw, emotional material for her art. The seven
-year gap between albums closed with Las Mejores'
Ya No Laren, Women No Longer Cry. in 2024. And
she described the creative process as alchemical,
turning her tears into diamonds and her vulnerability
into strength. This approach resonated universally
because the pain was so public and relatable.
Let's talk about the specific singles because
they set unprecedented benchmarks for the Spanish
language market. The initial shockwave was Beezer
at Music Sessions, Volume 53, the wildly unapologetic
kiss off diss track she recorded with Bazaar.
It achieved a staggering 14 Guinness World Records.
And crucially, for her U .S. crossover legacy,
it made her the first woman to debut a Spanish
language track in the top 10 of the Billboard
Hot 100 in over 15 years. It wasn't just a hit.
It was a global cultural event, fueling debates
about the Casio versus Rolex, Twingo versus Ferrari
comparisons. Absolutely. The level of cultural
discussion was almost unmatched. Then came the
collaboration with Karol G on TQG, which cemented
the theme of female empowerment. And that song
became her highest debuting U .S. single. at
number seven and broke the guinness world record
for the highest charting spanish language track
by a woman she literally broke her own record
established only weeks earlier the emotional
center of the album though seems to be acrostic
that track is a heartfelt poignant open letter
to her two sons and in a profound integration
of her family life into her art her sons milan
and sasha both sing and play piano on the song
it shows she can turn rage into anthems but also
deep familial love into delicate chart -topping
ballads. This era secured her sustained dominance.
The album debuted atop Billboard's top Latin
albums and Latin pop albums charts. This made
her the first woman with number one albums across
four different decades on the Billboard Latin
album charts. The 90s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.
And she continues to push genre boundaries. The
album featured Afrobeats, a Tex -Mex revival,
and even a stellar revival of her rock roots.
Before we move to the final synthesis, we do
have to address the complex and highly public
tax controversy which ran concurrently with all
of this. Yes, and we must approach this neutrally.
Spanish prosecutors alleged she failed to pay
14 .5 million euros in taxes between 2012 and
2014. And their argument was that she was primarily
residing in Barcelona with Piquet during that
time, thus meeting the residency requirements
for tax purposes. While her defense consistently
maintained that her primary residence was legally
in the Bahamas during that period. She argued
she was on tour and hadn't been legally a resident
of Spain for more than the required six months
per year. How did that high -spakes legal chapter
conclude? In 2023, just as the trial was about
to start, she settled the case. She agreed to
pay a substantial fine, ultimately settling for
7 .5 million euros. Citing the well -being of
her children as the primary reason. She wanted
to prioritize her family and creative work over
a potentially years -long legal battle. And this
settlement put an end to the court proceedings,
though it remains a big part of her story. Despite
the legal battles and personal upheaval, her
professional relevance hasn't just continued,
it's intensified. Her current trajectory is only
rising. The Las Mujeres Ya No Loran World Tour
had to be rescheduled due to overwhelming demand
for larger venues. Billboard declared it the
highest grossing Latin tour by a woman ever,
predicted to generate over $300 million. And
she remains highly visible. The 2024 Copa America
final halftime show. And she's confirmed for
Zootopia, too. She is undeniably a force who
achieved unprecedented global success, adapted
to three decades of a ruthless industry. and
maintained rigorous creative control. Her career
is defined by constant intentional metamorphosis
and fusion. She has this consistent ability to
synthesize global sounds and adapt to modern
platforms while maintaining an extraordinary
degree of control and authenticity. She's the
ultimate self -determined artist who took her
deepest personal suffering and translated it
into globally empowering anthems. It's the full
360, the rocker roots, the pioneering and divisive
crossover that ultimately opened the world for
Latin music, the cultural impact of Hips Don't
Lie and Waka Waka. And now this profound legacy
of turning intense personal pain into massively
successful, empowering music. It's a career trajectory
that is just structurally unique. Her recent
work. particularly Las Mujeres Llano Loran, is
a defining act of resilience. It explicitly ties
her personal suffering to female empowerment.
She has established a new archetype of fame in
the digital age, where authenticity derived from
personal turmoil is arguably the most valuable
commodity. So given her history of constantly
adapting musical styles to fit global trends,
from the charango and pan flute to afrobeats,
what musical or cultural territory might be the
next anthropological mission she decides to conquer?
She has successfully conquered every corner of
the globe once. It seems she's now ready to do
it again in every genre imaginable. That is a
truly provocative thought to leave you with,
the learner, as you mull over the enduring complex
career of the queen of Latin music. Thank you
for joining us for this deep dive. We'll see
you next time.