Concert Reviews
After a seven-year hiatus from releasing music, Shakira turned her difficult phase of life into an LP that won the 2025 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album.
Colombian singer Shakira rehearses a day ahead of her free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Shakira at TD Garden, July 10, 2026.
If you were concerned, never fear: Shakira’s hips still don’t lie. They shimmy, shake, and roll with the best of them. In fact, Shakira should teach a masterclass on isolated hip movements.
On Friday night, thousands of people flooded TD Garden in sparkling mini-skirts and gold coin belts. A small group wore purple bob wigs, a nod to Shakira’s 2005 music video for “Las de la Intuición,” and a woman donned fluffed wolf ears in honor of her 2009 electropop track “She Wolf.”
The crowd gathered to witness the first of Shakira’s two nights in Boston on her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour – World Cup Edition.
Shakira is undeniably iconic. At 49 years old, the Colombian singer-songwriter and dancer has released 12 studio albums, sold over 95 million albums worldwide, secured the record for most Latin Grammys won by any female artist, and co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show with Jennifer Lopez.
However, her recent personal life hasn’t been easy to navigate. She wrote her latest album “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” (2024) after finalizing her divorce from former professional footballer Gerard Piqué — her husband of 11 years — and fighting legal battles over alleged tax fraud in Spain. (She was acquitted and won a $64 million refund from the country’s tax authority in May, according to the BBC.)
Shakira performs at TD Garden. Maddie Browning/Staff photo
After a seven-year hiatus from releasing music, Shakira turned her difficult phase of life into an LP that won the 2025 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” — which translates to “Women No Longer Cry” — explores immense heartbreak, the act of rebuilding, and regaining your power.
At around 9 p.m., a dramatic clip played of a video game-style version of Shakira wandering through rolling sand dunes. She rose from beneath the earth to reclaim her place as a force of strength. While her body was covered in cracks like a porcelain doll, she didn’t let her scars stop her from charging on.
Kicking off the show with dance-pop track “La fuerte,” Shakira exuded cool confidence with impressive robotic dance movements and winged eyeliner that could cut glass.
“Finally here. I love this city so much,” she said, indirectly referencing her canceled Fenway Park show last May. “Thank you so much for waiting for me. You’re the most amazing fans ever.”
Varied combinations of intergenerational women filled the audience: mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, and close friends. A young girl sitting on her loved one’s shoulders held up a scarf with the colors of the Colombian flag running across it, celebrating Shakira’s roots.
Throughout her performance, Shakira emphasized the message of her “She Wolf” song and persona. She explained that women are resilient, must support each other, and become unstoppable together.
“Us girls, every time we fall, we get back up again,” she said.
Shakira sported a rotating collection of showstopping outfits reminiscent of legendary performers Selena and Cher. There were fun flared pants, sexy bedazzled bodysuits, shimmering two-piece sets, and of course, lots of glitter.
Her two-hour set wasn’t just a concert; it was an experience. Roaring flames burst from the stage, an intricate bubblegum pink candy-themed bar and bedroom set rolled in, a huge S-shaped structure served as a pole-dancing station, and a giant inflatable she-wolf beamed laser eyes into the audience.
Shakira performs on stage at TD Garden with an inflatable she-wolf. Maddie Browning/Staff photo
Shakira found the perfect balance between nostalgia and new beginnings with her setlist. As an international star since 2001, she played crowd pleasers from her vast repertoire, including “Can’t Remember to Forget You” and “Whenever, Wherever.”
She opened her sultry single “Hips Don’t Lie” with a solo Mapalé performance. The Afro-Colombian folk dance is an energetic style tracing back to enslaved West African people along the Caribbean coast of Colombia in the 16th century. Still today, the dance serves as an expression of resistance and joy. Shakira engaged in rapid hip movements and syncopated, dynamic stomping.
Momentarily breaking from her suggestive eye contact and sexual hairography, Shakira indulged in her Disney persona with “Zoo” from “Zootopia 2.” She even mounted golden horns on her soft wavy hair to transform into the animated pop star Gazelle. Dancers in tiger costumes with sparkly pink shorts gallivanted around her as she moved her head from side to side like a “Peanuts” character.
The concert quickly heated up again with Shakira gyrating on a red crystal platform at the onset of “Ojos así.” She cast a spell with her stunning throaty vocal runs and rocking hips adorned in glittering strands of fabric.
In honor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Shakira performed “Dai Dai,” an inspiring Afrobeats and pop anthem originally featuring Nigerian artist Burna Boy. She followed the high-energy track with “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
One of the most special moments from the concert was Shakira’s performance of “Acróstico.” Through the sweeping ballad, Shakira tells her young boys Milan and Sasha that she will be strong for them amid her crumbling marriage.
As audience members’ light-up wristbands glowed in a soft white, soaring keys rang out. A she-wolf entered the stage’s massive screen. She protected her two scared cubs from a raging storm that passed as the sun rose again in the morning.
Shakira wore a beautiful light blue sculptural gown with a metallic chest plate as she sang the love letter to her sons. She paused to watch watercolor versions of Milan and Sasha singing their parts on the screens to either side of her, soaking in the heartfelt moment.
The energy of the show moved from dance club to rock concert to emotional journey, but it all worked. Shakira has always explored a variety of genres, and her performance was so true to her that the audience couldn’t help but strap in for the ride.
She also showed off her prowess as a Renaissance woman, engaging in many dance styles, rocking guitar and drum solos, and even briefly whipping out a harmonica.
Amid chaos and uncertainty, Shakira expressed that “we can only wake up every morning and say thank you for one more day.” She performed as if this show could be her last, and the audience delighted in sharing the legendary night with her.
Setlist for Shakira at TD Garden, July 10, 2026
- La fuerte
- GIRL LIKE ME (Black Eyed Peas cover)
- Las de la intuición / Estoy aquí
- Empire / Inevitable
- Te felicito
- TQG (KAROL G & Shakira song)
- Don’t Bother
- Can’t Remember to Forget You
- Acróstico (With video of Milan and Sasha singing)
- Copa vacía
- La bicicleta (Carlos Vives & Shakira song)
- La tortura
- Hips Don’t Lie
- Chantaje
- Loca
- Zoo
- Soltera
- Ojos así
- Pies descalzos, sueños blancos
- ¿Dónde estás corazón?
- Antología (Acoustic)
- Underneath Your Clothes
- Whenever, Wherever
- Dai Dai
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
Encore
Maddie Browning
Maddie Browning is an arts and culture reporter based in Boston. She is an Emerson grad and loves reporting on music and visual arts.
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