Shakira “reborn” after her split from her ex-partner and father of her two sons, footballer Gerard Pique. After all, she said so herself in a recent interview.

The singer had to “reinvent” herself to become an artist determined to stay relevant in today’s music industry. The 47-year-old emerged “triumphant” from the most tumultuous period of her life, during which her divorce coincided with issues tax evasion and her father’s illness.

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During this difficult period the “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” (Women don’t cry anymore). More than just an album, it feels like a “jewel” of today’s pop culture. It’s also about female solidarity and fortitude, as the album’s title suggests.

Throughout her 30-year recording career, the Barranquilla-born singer has always tried to position herself as a contemporary artist, with her radar tuned to the latest musical trends. Of the 16 tracks, she performs only four on her own.

Shakira has successfully tracked the current craze for the disco revival, the vindication of Afrobeat, the rise of regional Mexican music, and reggaeton in… manageable amounts. And she is joined by top artists in these fields, including rapper Cardi B, Bizarrap, Mexicans Fuerza Regida, Karol G and reggaeton artist Rauw Alejandro.

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Almost all the songs are “rabidly” commercial. And since it’s a concept album revolving around her breakup, it’s peppered with slurs and jabs at her ex-partner, who cheated on her.

Time will tell if the tracks that make up this album can be considered a work of art and will remain in the oblivion of time.

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