Última (song)

"Última"
Song by Shakira
from the album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran
Released22 March 2024 (2024-03-22)
GenreLatin pop
Length2:58
LabelSony Music Latin
Songwriter(s)
  • Cristian Camilo Alvarez
  • Kevyn Cruz
  • Shakira
Producer(s)
  • Ciey
  • Shakira
Audio video
"Última" on YouTube

"Última" (English: "The Last") is a Latin pop song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. The song was released on 22 March 2024 as a part of Shakira's twelfth studio album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.

Background and release

[edit]

"Última" was initially announced on 29 February 2024, when Shakira shared the tracklist of her twelfth studio album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran on her social media accounts.[1] The song is one of the two piano ballads on the album, the other one being "Acróstico", and the last song she wrote for the album.[2][3][4] Shakira shared that creating the album was an "alchemical process" and that she "rebuilt herself" writing each song: "As I sang them, my tears were transformed into diamonds and my vulnerability into resilience".[5]

"Última" is written about Shakira's ex-partner Gerard Piqué, who she was in a relationship with for 11 years and who she separated from following his infidelity.[4][6][7][8] Lyrically the song is a heartfelt ballad in which she bids a final farewell to the retired soccer player.[9] She said in an interview that she hopes it's the last song she'll write about him.[4] Before creating the song she felt that she had to create it: "I have to spit it out or I won't be able to do it, you know,  I'll choke".[10][11] Being able to finish the song was "a great relief" for her.[12]

On 19 March, Shakira posted a preview of the song on her social media accounts.[9] Based on the preview, Judith del Rio from La Vanguardia called the song "the final farewell to her great love".[13] Europa FM emphasized how in the song Shakira "shows that all the pain that [Piqué] has caused her is definitively behind her".[14]

During an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Shakira discussed why "Última" will be the last song she writes about Piqué: despite pressure from her record label to finish her album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira insisted on including the song and ultimately recorded and mixed it in one afternoon.[15] When she shared the song with Sony Latin, the head of marketing cried, leading Shakira to reflect that the song is not just about her, and how music can have a universal connection and emotional impact on people.[15][3][11]

Reception

[edit]

Pablo Gil from El Mundo described the song as a "piano ballad with a soap opera echo", adding that it's perhaps the most 'morbid' song on the album.[16] Thania Garcia from Variety depicted how the 'confessional' "Última" is one of the two "most vulnerable songs" on the album alongside "Acróstico".[17] Lucas Villa from NME emphasized that "Shakira is one of Latin music’s most prolific and poetic songwriters, and she offers the most insight into her breakup with Piqué on the heartbreaking ballad", outlining how she "sounds like she’s on the verge of tears as she reflects on what went wrong" on the song.[18]

On 23 June 2024, Rolling Stone included "Última" on their list of great songs of 2024 by Spanish-speaking artists that far.[19]

Music video

[edit]

On 30 March 2024, Shakira was seen filming the music video for "Última" in the New York City Subway at nighttime.[20][21][22] Wearing a black coat, she was shivering in the cold wind yet appeared dedicated to her work.[23][24] The music video remains unreleased as of November 2024.

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Última"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
US Latin Digital Songs (Billboard)[25] 9
US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[26] 24

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Flores, Griselda (2024-02-29). "Shakira Reveals Collabs With Cardi B, Grupo Frontera & More in 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran' Tracklist". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  2. ^ Gaitán, Por Iván (2024-03-19). ""Última", la canción con la que Shakira promete finalizar las 'tiraeras' a Piqué". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  3. ^ a b "Shakira won't write any more songs about ex Gerard Piqué after Ultima, here's why". Desimartini. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  4. ^ a b c "'Última', la canción con la que Shakira se despide de Piqué: "Seguramente con el tiempo te arrepentirás y algún día querrás volver a mi puerta"". El Universo (in Spanish). 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  5. ^ "El dardo definitivo de Shakira a Gerard Piqué: así es la letra de 'Última', la canción con la que se despide de su expareja". El Español (in Spanish). 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  6. ^ "Así es la letra con la que Shakira manda 'la última' pulla a Gerard Piqué". ElHuffPost (in Spanish). 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  7. ^ ""Última": Shakira divulga prévia de novo single sobre divórcio". Rádio Mix FM (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  8. ^ INFO7 (2024-03-20). "Shakira: 'Última' será su última canción sobre Piqué". INFO 7 (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b Ocampo, Claudia Pacheco (2024-03-20). "Shakira revela que peleó contra disquera para lanzar 'Última' dedicada a Piqué". Quién. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  10. ^ Calle, Eduardo (2024-03-21). "Esta es la letra de 'Última', la nueva canción de Shakira que habla de Piqué". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  11. ^ a b swissinfo.ch, S. W. I. (2024-03-21). "Shakira dice que 'Última' será su última canción sobre su ex, Gerard Piqué". SWI swissinfo.ch (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  12. ^ EFE (2024-03-21). "Shakira dice que 'Última' será su última canción sobre su ex, Gerard Piqué". La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  13. ^ "Shakira publica la última canción que hablará sobre Gerard Piqué y avanza parte de su letra". www.lavanguardia.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  14. ^ "Shakira se despide definitivamente de Piqué en el adelanto de 'Última', su nueva canción". EuropaFM (in Spanish). 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  15. ^ a b "Why Shakira Says 'Última' Will Be the Last Song She Writes About Ex Gerard Piqué". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  16. ^ "Shakira, Las mujeres ya no lloran: un disco para triunfar". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  17. ^ Garcia, Thania (2024-03-22). "Shakira Is Grateful for Heartbreak on 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,' a Latin Pop Music Odyssey: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  18. ^ Villa, Lucas (2024-03-22). "Shakira – 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran' review: empowering and renewed". NME. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  19. ^ STONE, ROLLING (2024-06-23). "Grandes canciones de 2024, hasta ahora". Rolling Stone en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  20. ^ Redacción (2024-03-31). "Shakira aparece en el Metro de Nueva York, con su canción 'Última' de fondo". www.ecuavisa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  21. ^ Santana, Leslie (2024-04-02). "Shakira vuelve a sorprender en Nueva York: grabó video musical en el metro". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  22. ^ Semana (2024-04-01). "Shakira sorprendió a sus seguidores tras grabar un video en el Metro de Nueva York". Semana.com Últimas Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  23. ^ Beltrán, Por Daniela (2024-04-01). "Shakira sigue sorprendiendo a sus seguidores en Nueva York: la colombiana grabó un video en el metro". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  24. ^ "Video: Shakira sorprendió a sus seguidores tras aparecer en el Metro de Nueva York, ¿qué planea?". www.vanguardia.com (in Spanish). 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  25. ^ "Shakira Chart History (Latin Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Shakira Chart History (Latin Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
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