Shakira is a renowned name in the world of music. Hailing from Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira rose to fame with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001). The singer became an influential icon across the globe with her musical talent. She has healed hearts, sparked joy, evoked memories, and empowered many with her songs. Apart from being a great singer and songwriter, Shakira is also known for her impeccable dancing and animated stage presence, which is enough to captivate anyone. Needless to say, her impression musical journey hasn’t been unnoticed, as she is a recipient of numerous honors, including three Grammy Awards, fourteen Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards (including the 2023 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award), seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, twenty-one Guinness World Records, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Considering her fame and influential persona, last year Spotify declared 29th September as Shakira Day, to honor her musical journey and her contribution to pop culture. Throughout her career, Shakira has proved to be a beacon of representation and empowerment. She has not only touched hearts with her music but has also inspired millions of people. Shakira, with her music, has reached international fame and has earned a dedicated fanbase. An artist is always incomplete without her fans, and Shakira is well aware of this. In a statement to For the Record, Shakira acknowledged the unwavering support of her fans and remarked, “The role that my fans have played in my career is impossible to quantify. They’ve known how to understand me better than anybody, and they’ve carried me to where I am today with their unwavering support.”
Shakira is a great artist today, but all this prosperity and fame was not a one-day thing. She failed, she stood up, and she evolved. What we see today is a confident and successful woman, impacting millions of artists like her, but what people don’t know is that she also has seen a fair share of struggle to reach the point where she is today. Having a peek into her magnificent journey is always a treat to her fans.
Earlier in an interview with For the Record, Shakira shared insights into her remarkable career and offered advice to aspiring women artists. Shakira emphasized the importance of self-expression. Considering the male-dominated society we live in, she advised the aspiring female artist “to not let anybody define for you what being a woman means. You’re free to express it however you like.” Recounting her early days as a Colombian woman artist she said, “I think back to how male-dominated our music industry was when I started, and I’m proud to represent women who come from my country.”
She suggested that to witness greater gender equity in the music industry, it is essential “to have more female producers and engineers.”
There are always instances in life where we wish we could have given a piece of advice to our past selves. Talking about Shakira today, the artist is undeniably on a pedestal, and when the same question was put before her, she gave a very subtle answer to it. She said, “If I could give my past self one hint about my future career, it would be to know there will be high points for so much longer than you could ever imagine!”
To reach the place Shakira is today or to even walk on her path, having a determined attitude is very necessary. The reason behind her success is her dedication to her craft. She said, ” I can get up to 50 versions-plus of a song before I turn it in. I don’t like to leave any stone unturned or any creative path unexplored.”
Shakira has proven time and again that hard work and dedication pay off beautifully.
