Shakira Says She’s ‘Just Starting’ at 49 Ahead of Historic World Cup Halftime Show With Madonna and BTS
Shakira Says She’s ‘Just Starting’ at 49 Ahead of Historic World Cup Halftime Show With Madonna and BTS
Shakira is proving once again that reinvention has no age limit.
At 49, the global music icon is preparing for one of the most ambitious performances in modern entertainment history: a co-headlining halftime show at the World Cup Final on July 19 alongside Madonna and BTS.
But despite three decades at the top of the music industry, the Colombian superstar says she does not feel like she is winding down.
Instead, she feels like she is only beginning.
“You know what’s strange? I’ve done this professionally 30 years already,” Shakira said in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. “And it feels to me like I’m just starting.”
A New Chapter After Public Struggles
The singer’s reflection comes after a turbulent period in her personal life.
Shakira, a single mother of two sons, Milan, 13, and Sasha, 11, has faced intense public scrutiny following her separation from former football star Gerard Piqué, 39, amid allegations of infidelity.
She has also dealt with a lengthy tax fraud case in Spain, which she recently resolved in her favor, with reports indicating that the court ordered more than $70 million to be returned to her.
Despite these challenges, Shakira says she refuses to look at her past with regret.
“Behind every experience in life, there’s always a lesson,” she said. “We have to be grateful for all those lessons, even for the people that leave you with scars, because they just make us better.”
Turning Pain Into Global Power
Fans have closely followed Shakira’s transformation from heartbreak to empowerment.
Her viral track “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” became a global anthem of resilience, widely interpreted as a response to her breakup. One fan famously wrote online: “She really said watch me heal in public and break every record doing it.”
Her current Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour has now become the highest-grossing tour by a Hispanic artist in history, earning an estimated $421.6 million.
Industry analysts say the tour marks a defining moment not only for Shakira’s career, but for Latin music on a global scale.
World Cup History in the Making
Her upcoming World Cup Final halftime performance is expected to be a historic cultural moment.
Co-headlining with Madonna and BTS, the show will mark the first time such a globally diverse lineup has been featured on football’s biggest stage.
Shakira also revealed that all royalties from her new World Cup single, “Dai Dai,” will be donated to global education initiatives for children.
“Every champion started out as a kid who perhaps went through hardship and struggles,” she said. “But there was someone that believed in them.”
Advice to Her Younger Self
Looking back on her early career, Shakira offered a rare moment of reflection and vulnerability.
“I would say to that girl back in her 20s to enjoy more, to believe in herself more,” she said.
“Even though we don’t look as perfect as in our 20s, it’s beautiful to just be yourself and accept who you are.”
A Career Still Evolving
After 30 years of global hits, iconic performances, and cultural influence, Shakira says she is finally embracing a new mindset—one rooted in self-acceptance rather than perfection.
And if her recent success is any indication, this “beginning” she speaks of may be her most powerful era yet.
From heartbreak to history-making stages, Shakira continues to redefine what longevity in music looks like.
And she insists—she is not done.
Not even close.
