In Spanish, “calladita se ve más bonita,” is a popular saying used to silence women — whether it’s because they’re being indiscreet, loud, or simply taking up space. The translation: “When you’re quiet, you look prettier.” Last week, when Shakira dropped her new single, “BZRP Music Session, Vol. 53” dragging her ex, Gerard Piqué — her partner of 11 years and father to her two children, with whom she split in 2022 following allegations of infidelity on his part — she doused that misogynistic world in gas and lit it on fire.
The Colombian singer’s record-breaking song, which set the internet aflame and racked up 14.4 million Spotify streams and 63 million YouTube views in 24 hours, isn’t just a heartbreak anthem. It’s a declaration of self-love that breaks with societal norms in Latinx culture, by virtue of Shakira’s refusal to shield anyone from the world as she sees it. The fact that she released it solely in Spanish — after a long career recording her biggest hits in both Spanish and English — is an act of self-confidence, refusal to conform to industry challenges, and another indicator of the reach of Latinx artists and fans.
