Shakira Says Ex Gerard Piqué Was ‘Dragging Me Down’: ‘Now I’m Free!’

Whenever, wherever, Shakira is going to share her truth. The Queen of Latin music appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Monday (March 25), and opened up about her former relationship with soccer star Gerard Piqué, and how it had hindered her from producing a full album.

The three-time Grammy winner, who was on the late-night show to promote her new album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran [Women No Longer Cry], told the comedian that the reason for the seven year gap between her latest collection and 2017’s El Dorado was her ex. “I’ve been putting out music here and there, but I think it was really hard for me to put together a body of work” the Colombian superstar shared. “I didn’t have time. It was the husband factor.”

“Now I’m husband-less,” the She-Wolf declared. (Shakira and Piqué — who announced their split in 2022 — never married during their 11-year relationship, but share two sons.) “The husband was dragging me down. Now I’m free! Now I can actually work!”

The musician continued to open up in the interview, sharing her grieving and recovery processes. “I was trying to rebuild myself and music was the glue, but it felt like it was an alchemical process in which I was transforming pain and anger and frustration into creativity and productivity and strength and resilience,” the singer-songwriter explained while discussing the alternate covers of her new album, which are themed around precious stones. “The resilience of a diamond. So that’s why I picked the metaphor of the precious stones, because of the resilience that us women have today when we have to face adversity,” Shakira told Fallon.

The star also spoke about the societal expectations placed on women to hide their pain and to conform to certain standards of healing, a notion she firmly rejects. Her new album title embodies this sentiment, with the singer explaining, “It’s men’s turn [to cry] now. Now women [should] decide when to cry, how to cry and until when. No one is supposed to tell us how to cope with the hardship of life.”

During her appearance on The Tonight Show, the singer also performed “Puntería,” originally featuring Cardi B. The performance element of “Puntería” saw Shakira seated and dressed in white baggy pants and a top with ropes. Amid iridescent curtains and a pearlesque backdrop that displayed a gigantic diamond on the screen, Shak was flanked by two female dancers, and then joined by two more, who all wore matching outfits and danced in unison to the electro-pop song. 

Before the performance and interview, the show began with the superstar undergoing a playful lie detector test. “Everything hooked up?” Fallon asked Drew Barrymore, who made a guest appearance as the technician.

“We’re ready,” she replied.

“You know what to do, Shakira,” said Fallon over Shak’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Hips Don’t Lie.” With wires hooked to her hips, the Barranquilla hitmaker began to gyrate them in classic Shakira fashion.

“It checks out, they’re telling the truth,” replied a serious Barrymore.

“Her hips don’t lie,” added Fallon, nailing the punchline.  

Check out the performance of “Puntería” and the lie detector test below, and Shak’s full interview above.