If you’ve ever tried to put together a last-minute event or get-together, you know it’s not easy to get guests to show up with so little notice. But that’s not the case for our Lady of Truthful Hips: Shakira. Shakira threw a free pop-up concert at Times Square in New York on Tuesday, March 26, and had no problem getting fans to attend. Never mind that she sent out the invite just a few hours earlier or that you could also watch virtually. Guess how many people showed up?
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According to estimates from the event organizers, about 40,000 people showed up! What?! Let’s remember that this was on a school night. Tuesdays aren’t big going out nights and even less when it’s short notice, but still Shakira was able to pull in a monumental audience. Amazing!
Here are some more details about the what, when, were, and why of Shakira’s concert in Times Square.
The invite was so last-minute in a good way.
On the day of the concert, Shakira posted an invite on her Instagram account. “New York! Come join me in Times Square for a surprise performance at 7.15pm And you can watch online as it happens WORLDWIDE right here on Instagram and at my official site!” she shared as part of the caption.
What was the why behind the event?
On Friday, March 27, Shakira released her first album in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. What better way to celebrate the release than by putting on a show for her fans who have been eagerly waiting for a new album for so long?
There was a whole countdown and everything.
Times Square is no stranger to countdowns, but usually the countdowns are to ring in the new year. This time around it was to cheer in the hitmaker, who opened with the always crowd-pleasing “Hips Don’t Lie.”
She spoke affectionately to the crowd and thanked them.
“Hola, New York! Oh my God, this is amazing, absolutely insane,” she said. “It’s so awesome to see you again, to sing for you…Nothing compares to this. Thank you so much for all the love that you’ve been giving me this week during the release of my new album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. And thank you, thank you, thank you for showing up.”
What songs did she perform?
Besides "Hips Don't Lie," she also serenaded the audience with “Te Felicito,” “TQM,” “Cómo Dónde y Cuándo,” and “Puntería.” And her closing number was “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” her hit chronicling the end of her relationship with ex Gerard Piqué that has become an anthem for so many women.
Her joy and gratitude were palpable.
“I’m happy to be here surrounded by my Latin people,” said the Colombian superstar. “Thank you, New York. Until next time. I love you very much.” The crowd made it clear that the love is mutual.
The night before, Shakira explained why it took her so long to record a new album.
The evening before the concert, the "She Wolf" singer made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and explained why it's been so hard to release an album the last seven years, even though she did release a song here and there.
“It was the husband factor. Now I’m husband-less,” Shakira explained to Jimmy Fallon “Yeah, the husband was dragging me down. Now I’m free. Now I can actually work.” Technically, she’s wasn’t married, but in all practicality, she was.
Shakira and her former partner Gerard Piqué were together for 11 years.
During that time, they had two sons together: Milan and Sasha. The former couple released a joint statement on June 4, 2022, announcing that they were going their separate ways.
"We regret to confirm that we are separating," the exes said in a joint statement. "We ask for privacy at this moment for the well-being of our children, who are our maximum priority. Thank you in advance for your understanding and respect."
Since the breakup, Shakira has been thriving.
She somehow managed to productively channel her heartbreak into her music and that music has resonated with so many across the globe. So much so that she broke 14 Guinness World Records she released "Music Sessions Vol. 53" in collaboration Argentine DJ and producer Bizarrap.
And she recorded a song with her sons.
When I first heard her sons, Milan and Sasha, sing on the "Acróstico" track of her new album, I got all choked up. They have the sweetest voices and are clearly very talented like their mamá.
Back to the Times Square show that she really didn't have to do.
I say that she didn't have to do it because her new album was already doing incredibly well. As Jimmy Fallon mentioned when he had her on her show, the evening before the free performance in Times Square the album was already a hit.
Jimmy talked about how much of a hit the album is.
“In the first 24 hours it was released the album became the most streamed album of 2024 already. It was certified seven times platinum already. And it’s been streamed 10 billion times globally,” Jimmy shared on his show. And remember that this all happened just days after the album was released.
If you missed her Times Square performance, no worries.
Check out the recorded livestream. Her entrance was epic and the sea of fans went wild for it. I highly doubt that anyone in the crowd regretted showing up on a Tuesday night to see the international megastar do her thing. She put on quite a show.
