Shakira has returned to one of the most painful chapters of her life in a new interview on Al cielo con Ella, the program hosted by Henar Álvarez. The conversation marked not only her return to Spain, but also a clear sign that she is approaching the past from a very different place: calmer, tougher, and with just enough distance to look at the wreckage without pretending it did not happen.
From breakup to rebuilding
Without naming Gerard Piqué directly, Shakira spoke about the end of the relationship with unusual candor. The pain, she made clear, was real.
"I shattered into a thousand pieces."
But that was not where the story stopped. She said she rebuilt herself step by step, describing a deeply personal process in which music became her main way of working through what had happened.
"I rebuilt myself piece by piece."
For Shakira, the songs that followed were not simply a creative phase. They became part of the repair work. Her latest material reflects a mix of vulnerability and strength, and she linked that transformation to a broader experience shared by many women: getting back up, supporting others, and finding yourself again after everything has shifted.
"Tears will become diamonds," she said, tying the idea directly to the spirit of her album Women No Longer Cry.
It is a polished way to describe a process that usually looks anything but polished. Healing, it turns out, is not known for tidy schedules.
Her post-breakup songs and the criticism around them
The Colombian singer also addressed the songs released after the separation, many of which became worldwide hits while also drawing criticism for their references to her private life and to the father of her children.
"There were many people who wanted to silence me, but I was already shouting. And my way of doing that is through music," she said.
For Shakira, music was both an outlet and a form of reconstruction. She framed it as something more than release: a way to process grief, reclaim control, and decide for herself how to heal.
"No one has the right to tell you how to heal."
Asked about the possible effect of her lyrics on her children, the 49-year-old offered a different reading. In her view, the songs can also model self-love and resilience.
"I believe they are also an example of self-love and resilience."
She connected that point to a larger lesson about emotional education, saying that children need to learn to live with frustration and accept that things do not always go as planned.
"Life is made up of more ‘no’s’ than ‘yeses.’ And it is important to teach that to your children."
Motherhood, career, and what success cost
Shakira also reflected on the personal choices that shaped her career during the years she lived in Barcelona with Piqué. At the time, she stepped back from her professional life in the United States to focus more heavily on her family.
"It was important for me to live the first years of motherhood intensely," she said.
She did not pretend the decision came without consequences. It meant missed opportunities and a career that slowed for a time. Still, when asked whether she regretted it, her answer was clear.
"Not for my children."
That answer seems to sum up much of the interview. Music remains important, but now it appears to function as more than a career move. It is therapy, statement, and a way of being present in her own story.
What emerges is not the distant superstar version of Shakira, but someone more grounded and visibly human. She does not erase the past. She simply refuses to let it have the final word.
