When Shakira tweeted the famous line from Disney’s The Little Mermaid “You want thingamabobs? I got twenty” we simply thought she was paying homage to the recently released live-action version of the movie starring Halle Bailey. Who could have guessed that she would drop a brand-new single, “Copa Vicía” with Manuel Turizo, and become a mermaid at the same time?
The pop-reggaeton single follows “Acróstico” and her collab with Karol G on the history-making hit “TQG,” which was accompanied by a music video packed full of enticing visuals that it is now a couple of millions away from hitting the billion mark.
Copa Vicía sees Shakira and Turizo sing about unrequited love, and what better way to convey it than by transforming into the little mermaid, whose core story revolves around the sacrifice she made to be with a Prince. “You’re always busy with so many businesses,” Shakira sings in Latin. “Drop your phone, use your hands with me / I know you’re hot but I’m hotter. I’ve been thirsty for you for a while, I don’t know why.”
“As if you don’t feel anything / Now you see me differently / I’m swimming against the current/ I’m looking in the streets who can fill this emptiness I feel,” Turizo sings in his verse, before they unite in the chorus, singing, “I’ve been thirsty for you for a while, I don’t know why / I’m left wanting more, wanting to drink from an empty cup.”
If you’ve ever foolishly wondered whether Shakira’s still got it, you need to watch the brand new video accompanying her single with Turizo. Hint: it features two hot Latin artists, and one of them has fish legs. Shakira directed the video with her long-time collaborator Jaume de Laiguana. In the video, Turizo takes mermaid Shakira from the waters and keeps her in a fish tank. There aren’t any signs that the mermaid is disgruntled about being removed from her natural home, so it could also read as a rescue.
Ten days before the single’s release, Shakira and Turizo teased the video by sharing an epic poster with Shakira as a mermaid and Turizo as the Prince, captioning it, “We made a movie.” The video premiered across MTV’s global network of channels, as well as on the Paramount billboard in Times Square, on Thursday, June 29.
It is said Shakira is gearing up to release an album, though its release date is yet to be announced. Since 2017’s El Dorado, she has not released an album of original material.
