Is 2023 the year of the breakup diss track? If last week is anything to go by, yes. On Friday, Miley Cyrus dropped a cryptic new single praising self love and taking aim at past relationships — oh, and it just so happened to be her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday.
But another, more scandalous revenge song emerged from last week, and is making waves far bigger than Cyrus’ ode to singlehood. It’s Shakira’s latest release in partnership with Argentinian DJ Bizarrap, where she takes clear aim at ex-boyfriend Barcelona FC footballer Gerard Piqué, as well as his new girlfriend and his mother. Unfortunately for Piqué, the song has broken records as the most watched new Latin song in YouTube history.
Shakira’s uncompromising lyrics include hard hitting lines such as “Lots of time at the gym, but your brain needs a little work too” and “I was out of your league, that’s why you’re with someone just like you.” The singer, 45, appears to be referencing Piqué’s new girlfriend, Clara Chia, who is twelve years his junior. Chia is 23 years old now, but is rumoured to have started dating Pique, 35, when she was 22. This explains one of the song’s juiciest lyrics, where Shakira sings that she’s worth “two of 22”, adding: “You swapped a Ferrari for a [Renault] Twingo, you swapped a Rolex for a Casio.”
Shakira and Piqué’s split has been messy since the very start. It was announced the couple, who have two sons, were separating after twelve years together in June 2022. Amidst the news of their unceremonious uncoupling, the singer was also being investigated over claims she had committed tax fraud. Shakira has since been charged with six counts of tax fraud for failing to pay 14.5 million euros in income taxes, but is now claiming this is the fault of her ex. “You left me with my mother-in-law as a neighbour, with the press at my door and a debt to the taxman,” she sings in the hit YouTube diss track.
Shakira may still be grappling with the Spanish revenue authorities, but she has taken the mother-in-law problem very much in her stride. It was reported last week that a full sized witch doll had been erected on Shakira’s balcony, which allegedly faces her ex-mother-in-law’s house, and residents have attested to hearing the diss track playing at full volume from within the apartment.
Shakira has reportedly put up a witch mannequin on her balcony facing her ex mother-in-law’s house, while her Bizarrap session can be heard blasting on repeat at full volume. pic.twitter.com/fIE30Za9S9
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 14, 2023
And Piqué himself hasn’t shied away from responding to Shakira’s attacks. Since the track’s release four days ago, the former Manchester United player has announced he will be a new brand ambassador for Casio, in response to Shakira’s line referencing him “[swapping] a Rolex for a Casio”. And, just to really emphasise the point, he responded to the line about “[swapping] a Ferrari for a [Renault] Twingo,” too, by turning up to training in a £8,000 Renault. One can only aspire to these levels of pettiness.
And with Piqué’s responses putting the ball back in Shakira’s court, we can likely expect a response soon. Let’s hope it’s just as juicy as it’s been so far.
