Latin
Shakira: 'I had to fight for my dreams'
Shakira has reflected on her early struggles and growing confidence as she pledges 100 per cent of her new single’s royalties to a global education fund.
Shakira has spoken candidly about the determination that shaped her career, admitting she “had to really fight” to make her dreams a reality.
The 49-year-old superstar reflected on her early years in the industry while promoting her new World Cup single Dai Dai, telling People she wishes her younger self had believed in her abilities sooner.
She told the magazine: “I would say to that girl back in her 20s to enjoy more, to believe in herself more.
“Even though we don’t look as perfect as in our 20s, it’s beautiful to just be yourself and accept who you are.”
Shakira has pledged 100 per cent of her royalties from Dai Dai to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which supports children worldwide with access to schooling and football programmes.
She said the track is aimed at “every child who’s been told that their dream is too big,” stressing that every champion starts out facing obstacles but succeeds because “someone believed in them.”
The star’s connection to the World Cup stretches back two decades.
She first performed at the tournament 20 years ago and later delivered the 2010 anthem Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) - the same year she met ex-partner Gerard Piqué, the father of her sons Milan, 13, and Sasha, 11.
Shakira will be joined by Madonna and BTS for the first-ever World Cup halftime show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.
The Hips Don't Lie hitmaker said the event still holds a special place in her life.
She said: “I have this connection with soccer that seems unbreakable."
Alongside her World Cup commitments, Shakira is preparing to hit the road again, with the final leg of her tour kicking off in the US on June 13.
Despite more than 30 years in the business, she insisted: “It feels to me like I’m just starting."
