On Tuesday night (March 26), the countdown arrived at Times Square nine months ahead of schedule. Thousands of people flocked to the well-known tourist attraction, but not to see the legendary New Year’s Eve ball drop—rather, they came to see Colombian pop sensation Shakira perform.
The musician shocked her admirers by announcing a “pop-up” concert on social media just hours beforehand. The organizers reported that over 40,000 fans answered her invitation to celebrate the release of her first album in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, last Friday.
Large Shakira statue unveiled in Barranquilla, her birthplace
The free event was announced with a clock that counted down to its commencement on a massive electronic billboard that spanned a portion of a tower. About 7:30 p.m. ET, as the audience erupted in cheers of “ten to zero,” two enormous doors concealed in the jumbotron opened, revealing the TSX Stage and Shakira taking the stage with her No. 1 Hot 100 smash, “Hips Don’t Lie.”
“Hello, New York! She exclaimed in Spanglish, “Oh my God, this is amazing, absolutely insane,” right away. It’s so great to see you again and to perform for you. There is nothing like this. I sincerely appreciate all of your love and support throughout this week’s release of my new CD, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. And I want to express my gratitude for coming.
The self-described She-Wolf, dressed in black pants and a silver-embroidered top, thrilled the audience by performing live and leading a group of dancers in songs like “Te Felicito,” “TQM,” “Cómo Dónde y Cuándo,” and “Puntería.” The concert concluded with the smash hit “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”
The 14-time Latin Grammy and three-time Grammy winner stated, “I’m happy to be here surrounded by my Latin people.” “Thank you, New York. Until we meet again. You have my undying love.
Shakira’s first album in seven years, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” will be released
TSX Entertainment co-produced the program on Tuesday alongside ViX, Vinfast, and Sony Music Latin as presenting partners. It happened the day after Shakira played “Puntería” and opened up about her past connection with soccer player Gerard Piqué on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Below, you can watch a portion of Shakira’s Times Square performance:
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She also discussed why it took her so long to make a new album after 2017’s El Dorado. “I don’t have a husband anymore,” the She-Wolf said. (Shakira and Piqué, who declared their separation in 2022, had two sons together but were never married in their 11-year romance.) “My spouse was pulling me down.” I’m free now. I can actually work now.
