“Gross and disrespectful,” that’s how fans labeled the behavior of some fans that caused Shakira to abruptly leave the stage during a performance at the nightclub LIV Miami, which specializes in parties for celebrities.
The artist was doing an improvised dance routine on top of what appeared to be a table separating the public from the DJs. Some people in the audience were recorded sneaking their phones under the singer’s dress and filming as her latest hit Soltera was playing in the background.
Upon noticing the behavior, Shakira paused her dance, held her skirt down in embarrassment with both hands, and climbed down the table where she was greeted by security and fans in the VIP area of the club.
“Whoever was filming should be arrested for sexual assault,” wrote one angered fan on X.
Shakira was forced to cut her dance short at a nightclub after fans snuck their phones in to record under her dress
The 47-year-old star initially waved off the individuals and briefly resumed her dance but they persisted in their behavior. Seeing this, the artist decided to cut her performance short and was recorded communicating her grievances to the club’s personnel.
Among Shakira’s entourage in the VIP section were other famous Latin American female artists such as Danna from Mexico, Lele Pons from Venezuela, and Anitta from Brazil.
Larissa de Macedo (Anitta’s real name) is featured in the Colombian singer’s latest single Soltera, which means “single” in Spanish and references Shakira’s separation from her ex-husband of 11 years, Gerard Piqué.
Shakira’s fellow singers were seen shouting intelligible words towards the offending crowd, but remained festive in their demeanor, never letting the incident sour their mood.
Fans were quick to upload the song to social media, with many videos claiming to be the “official” version of the single which had “leaked”. Sadly, for fans of the artist, these were nothing but reuploads of the original clip, with the music muffled by the sounds of the nightclub.
Soltera’s lyrics follow the theme that began with her 12th album, in which she references the pain of the separation with her ex husband, Gerard Piqué
Shakira leaves the stage after people were filming under her dress whilst she was dancing to her new single. People are GROSS. pic.twitter.com/AxlBw6yFZL
— FEIM (@FeimM_) September 15, 2024
Soltera’s debut comes a few months after the release of her 12th studio album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Spanish for “women don’t cry anymore,” which itself marked a break from a long hiatus since her previous record El Dorado, released seven years ago in 2017.
The album’s songs, however, were released consistently one by one starting with The Felicito, which featured Rauw Alejandro and became no. 10 in Latin America since its debut in April, 2022.
Image credits: MEGA/GC Images
“Making this body of work has been an alchemical process,” Shakira said about creating the album. “While writing each song, I was rebuilding myself. While singing them, my tears transformed into diamonds, and my vulnerability into strength.”
The name of the record comes from lyrics she sang while collaborating with Bizarrap, an Argentine DJ and producer.
“Women don’t cry anymore, they make money,” she sang at the time.
The Colombian singer affirms she’s entered a “new era,” marked by her struggles with being a single mother and the positive reception of her newest work
Shakira explained in an interview with Billboard that she’s still adjusting to her new reality of being a single mother, a process which has made being a pop star much more difficult.
“Sometimes I think being a single mom and the rhythm of a pop star aren’t compatible. I have to put my kids to bed, go to the recording studio; everything is uphill,” she explained.
“When you don’t have a husband who can stay home with the kids, it’s constant juggling because I like to be a present mom and I need to be there every moment with my children: take them to school, have breakfast with them, take them to play dates. And aside from that, I have to make money.”
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Shakira revealed she isn’t ready for a serious relationship but remains open to casual dating, stating, “What space do I have for a man right now?” despite recent links to celebrities like Tom Cruise, Lewis Hamilton, and Lucien Laviscount.
The artist emphasized that her children’s emotional well-being and the revival of her career following her breakup and a legal battle over tax evasion remain her top priorities.
Netizens were outraged by the disrespectful behavior of the club’s attendants, with many going as far as to wish phones were banned from shows featuring celebrities
“She can wear what she likes. And intentional upskirt filming is completely unacceptable full stop,” wrote one viewer.
“That’s truly disappointing behavior. Artists deserve respect and privacy, both on and off stage,” another replied.
“Prince used to ban phones at his concerts so the audience would be fully in the moment. People now view concerts through their phone screens, sad,” one reader noted.
“Bruno Mars does the same. It should happen more, especially with shows like this that are so close to the audience,” another replied.
“I gave up attending concerts as I was sick of seeing phone screens all lit up in front of me instead of the show,” one reader said.
It’s important to note that Shakira’s performance in the clip was not part of a concert, but a sneak peak of her latest single at a nightclub.
While many were offended by the behavior, others believed it was bound to happen due to Shakira’s outfit and the environment in which she danced
