As soon as I got gifted my first CD at seven years old, I blasted it from my Hello Kitty Boombox and danced along with no worries or care. Every day I played the same album over and over and sang along to every single lyric. It was Shakira’s 2014 album, literally called “Shakira”. I knew the songs by heart in both English and Spanish, and even played them for my friends to enjoy her music with me. A few years later, she went on tour in 2018 for the El Dorado World Tour. I begged my parents to take me, but the dates never quite aligned. Shakira has been my lifelong idol, and an artist that I closely followed and even grew up with. She is now my top Artist on Spotify every single year. Her music not only inspired me, but also her character and talent. Last December, I finally got the opportunity to see Shakira live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The live arena holds only 7,000 seats, so she named her show “Up Close and Personal”. Seeing her on the 28th of December, it was the perfect way to end 2025.
Although Shakira was touring her new album, which was released in March of 2024, her set was a complete mix of over 20 years of her music. The concert essentially mirrored her journey with music and fame, as well as showcased her diverse discography. It was an even blend of her old and new songs, tailoring the show to her very diverse audience. Shakira performed many medleys of different genres, combining multiple songs played directly after one another. Between her medleys, she had many different outfit changes, and tailored her physical appearance to the song and that point in her life.
She began the show by singing the song “La Fuerte” from her 2024 album, which directly transitioned into “Girls Like Me”, a 2020 release with the Black Eyed Peas. However, she took a complete turn into performing “Las De La Intuicion”, an iconic 2007 hit. In doing so, she not only targeted both her younger and older audiences, but also created nostalgic memories for all. Not only did I grow up with Shakira, but so did many others. She began singing for her local news station in Colombia when she was only 13, but she grew quickly and gained much traction between the 90s and 2000s. By singing such a wide variety of her discography, Shakira truly encapsulated the great career she has had and lived up to all of my hopes and expectations.
The show itself was truly remarkable. The dancers were incredible, the costumes were beautiful, and the scenography was executed perfectly. Despite this being a smaller venue than the rest of her shows on tour, it remained spectacular. For a long time, I had wanted to see Shakira and experience her music live and I have absolutely no regrets. Not only is she an incredible singer, but her hips really do not lie. Shakira is 49 years old and truly remains just as incredible a dancer with incredible stamina. She sang and danced for the entire duration of the show which was almost a full two-hours long. Seeing her live is so impressive because of her artistic talent and ability to move her body so rhythmically while belting out notes. The entire arena was up on their feet dancing, and truly enjoying being in her presence, hearing her music.
Although I realize I am a die-hard Shakira fan, her concert was unquestionably remarkable. Her music has a lot of personal sentiment to me, and growing up with her discographies conveyed to me at a young age, the importance of dreaming big and what I was capable of achieving. Getting to hear her old music from over 20 years ago live, brought me back to my childhood and how carefree I would dance to her music. This concert didn’t only resonate with me, but also my parents who saw her tour her album “Laundry Service” in 2002. She created some incredible medleys joining together songs from the same “era” and singing them back to back. I felt as though the concert progressed, the crowd grew with her music. Shakira represents longevity without fading and she continues to stay culturally relevant and adapt with culture. I will always continue to enjoy her music, new and old, as it constantly blasts in my headphones. Ultimately, no review of this concert could do it justice or even put it into words. To me, it was completely monumental and unforgettable.