It’s been less than a year since Shakira separated from her partner of 11 years, Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, amid cheating rumors that bizarrely involve a jar of strawberry jam. As so many artists do, the Colombian singer seems to have channeled that pain into her music, and the work has paid off. Shakira made reference to her painful split at Billboard’s Latin Women in Music gala, as she accepted the Woman of the Year Award, speaking to women’s strength, bravery and independence.
