Shakira released her latest single, “Monotonía,” months after announcing her split from longtime partner Gerard Piqué after 11 years of dating.
The song’s collaboration with Ozuna was released along with a stunning music video shot directed by Jaume de la Iguana. In it, Shakira is shot in the chest by the actress, who then proceeds to walk through the streets while holding her own heart.
The lyrics of the song, which translate to “monotony” or “boredom” in English, are melancholic and heartbreaking, as the singer addresses a partner at the end of a relationship. “It wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t my fault/ It was monotony’s fault/ I never said anything but it hurts/ I knew this would happen,” she says at the start of the song before later lyrics reveal the narrator’s feelings during the split.
In a later verse, she sings, “Suddenly you were no longer the same / You left me because of your narcissism / You forgot what we were one day.”
Shakira and Piqué confirmed their break up in a joint statement last June, saying that their children, Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7, are their top priority. In a cover interview for ELLE‘s October issue, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer addressed the breakup for the first time. She also talked about working on her highly anticipated new album.
Noting that “it’s difficult to talk about it, especially because I’m still going through it,” the singer explained that the constant presence of paparazzi outside her home, as well as the various headlines, have made a difficult situation in the public eye even more difficult.
She also mentioned the pressure she felt while attempting to establish a co-parenting relationship with the 35-year-old soccer star. “Regardless of how things ended or how Gerard and I feel about each other as ex-partners, he is the father of my children. We have a job to do for these two incredible boys, and I have faith that we will figure out what is best for their future, their own dreams in life, and what is a fair solution for everyone involved,” she said, adding, “And I hope and would appreciate if we were given the space to do that privately.”
She spoke candidly about her own sentiments around the separation in addition to handling the situation for her children. “For those women like me who believe in values like family who had the dream, the big dream of having a family forever, to see that dream broken or shredded into pieces is probably one of the most painful things that you can ever go through,” she said.
Published by HOLR Magazine.