Shakira opens up in brutally honest interview: ‘I broke into a thousand pieces’

Henar Álvarez (41) has established herself as one of the most sought-after women in television and the first to host a late-night show on Spain’s RTVE. Since 2024, she has been at the helm of Al cielo con ella on channel La 2. This Tuesday, the programme made a huge leap to the main channel, La 1, with a landmark broadcast featuring a true A-list guest: Shakira. This is the only interview the Colombian singer has granted to a Spanish outlet – a major scoop that sees the presenter move into a prime-time slot, taking over the space left by fellow TV host Marc Giró’s move to rival channel La Sexta.

In the highly anticipated interview, Shakira began by discussing sisterhood and female solidarity, the central themes of her show. “People have tried to pigeonhole women – putting us in a display case to be pretty, attractive, to keep the spark alive, bring home the bacon, and raise the children without a hair out of place… They’ve put us in a very uncomfortable, cruel position. The pressure is immense,” she stated.

The singer stressed that one of the biggest challenges today is “building real bonds in this mad era where everyone puts on a brave face.” She regrets that people shy away from talking about struggle or failure, noting: “You don’t just learn from success; you learn more from falling down.” She questioned how children will ever learn if they aren’t allowed to fail, and where the geniuses of tomorrow will come from if the new generation isn’t allowed to get things wrong.

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Speaking more candidly, the global star touched on the hurdles she has cleared to become the woman she is today – a version of herself she is clearly proud of. “I laugh a lot at what’s happened to me now. I make jokes about it; I turn my struggles into a bit of a laugh. No one is immune to hardship, but you have to laugh at life before it laughs at you,” she commented.

Through her songs, which have become global anthems, she insists she is simply telling her story. “I’m sharing my truth. Many people know that I fell apart, as happens to everyone at some point, and I rebuilt myself bit by bit. From there, I went on a journey of self-discovery. In the depths of that experience, I found my own strength through my music.”

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This personal transformation was born from “that inner strength we all have” and has completely overhauled her image. As she put it, “tears turned into diamonds.” Following this rebirth, she presents herself as a powerful, self-assured woman. This evolution is the golden thread of her show, encapsulated by the motto that has become a rallying cry for freedom and self-love: Women no longer cry, women make money (las mujeres facturan).

In her show, she wears her heart on her sleeve. Her songs are a direct reflection of her life because, for her, “writing is therapeutic” — a way to process her emotions. She believes it is “vital not to lose sight of them in a society that constantly tries to distract us.”

Strict rules for her children and a sacrifice she doesn’t regret

Shakira never looks herself up online and stops her children from doing the same. “The tech side of things is strictly monitored. They don’t have phones; they have an iPad which I let them have for an hour on Saturday mornings… They don’t have much internet access, and I’ve banned YouTube. But they also know that happiness is found in the simple things—that you shouldn’t be fooled by social media,” she explained. She does stay informed about her own press, but only because she asks her team to “send over the nice bits.”

© Getty Images for Global Citizen

With a career spanning over three decades, Shakira feels she is “on the cusp of a new beginning.” She took a break when she became a mother to experience those early years intensely. Because the family was based in Barcelona rather than the US, she admits she missed out on many opportunities, but she has no regrets. Her sons Milan and Sasha are her absolute priority, and she is teaching them two key values: keeping your word and being honest.

A record-breaking European residency

Shakira hasn’t performed in Spain for eight years, and her return is monumental. She will play eleven dates in Madrid as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. The shows will run across September and October, and ticket demand has been off the charts. “My lovely people. Eleven concerts. I can’t believe this is happening. It’s so moving to know you’ll be there with me. Madrid is going to be the biggest party,” she posted on social media.

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Spain remains a key part of the singer’s life. It was in Catalonia that her two children were born and where she spent over a decade with their father, footballer Gerard Piqué. That relationship was a turning point for her; she experienced a whirlwind romance with the athlete after meeting on the set of the Waka Waka video. While they built a life together with Milan and Sasha (now 12 and 10), they famously split in June 2022 after 10 years together.

What is the ‘Shakira Stadium’?

Designed as more than just a gig, the residency will turn the venue into an immersive cultural hub: a “city within a city” where music, art, and community collide. This will be Shakira’s only European stop, meaning fans from across the continent will have to trek to Madrid for what promises to be a one-of-a-kind spectacle.

The ‘Shakira Stadium’ will celebrate shared roots and put Madrid on the map as a global stage for diverse voices. Under the banner Es Latina, the residency will host exhibitions, talks, workshops, and even cinema and gastronomy—proving that for Shakira, the “Latino Nation” isn’t a place on a map, but a community held together by rhythm, resilience, and joy.