Shakira’s subtle shade to Gerard Pique in empowering Billboard Awards Woman of The Year speech

Singer was honoured at Billboard’s Latin Women in Music gala

Shakira spoke about her recent split with Gerard Pique in her Billboard Awards Woman of The Year speech on Saturday (6 May).

In her first public appearance since moving to Miami, the 46-year-old singer accepted the Woman of the Year award at the inaugural Latin Women in Music gala and gave an emotional speech about her life experiences.

“There comes a time in every woman’s life when she no longer depends on someone to love or accept herself as she is,” the Columbian singer said.

“The search for the other is replaced by the search for oneself, when the desire to be perfect is replaced by the desire to be authentic,” she added.

“It is a year in which I have realised that women are much stronger than we think,” Shakira, who parted ways with the former Barcelona footballer after an 11-year relationship in 2022, said. “We are braver than we think we are. I think we are also more independent than we were taught to be.

“What woman hasn’t gone through the experience of looking for attention, affection or approval from others and forgotten about herself? It has happened to me.

“It doesn’t matter so much if someone is faithful or not, what really matters is if you continue to be faithful to yourself,” she added..

Before concluding, Shakira said her music helped her through the tough times in her life

“It’s true that when I felt most lost, it was music that put me on the path back to myself,” she said.

Celebrating women, she further said: “For them, for you, I wrote what I wrote and sang what I sang because only a woman can love until she tears herself apart; can speak with the most brutal honesty; can sing with anger; dance in ecstasy and be brought to tears with emotion. Only a woman can do that.”

Pique went Instagram official with his new girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti, in January.

Just a week later, the couple became the subject of Shakira’s wrath when she released a “diss track”, “BZRP Music Sessions #53”, which went viral thanks to its catchy nature and brutal lyrics.