Shakira has claimed that her ex Gerard Piqué "dragged her down".
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, the Colombian hitmaker claimed that her relationship with the retired football star had held back her career.
"I've been putting out music here and there but it was really hard for me to put together a body of work," Shakira, 47, told the talk show host about her new album.
"I didn't have time because of the husband factor," the performer continued. "Now I'm husbandless. Yeah, the husband was dragging me down. Now I'm free. Now I can actually work."
On Friday, the Hips Don't Lie singer released her first full-length album in seven years, entitled Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. The release comes almost two years after she announced in June 2022 that she and Gerard, 37, had split after 11 years.
During the interview, Shakira explained that the album's title translates to "women no longer cry".
"It's men's turn now," the hitmaker said with a laugh. "For too long we have been sent to cry with a script in our hands and without an end just because we are women. We have to conceal our pain in front of our kids, in front of society."
The Waka Waka singer added that in making her new album she was "transforming pain and anger and frustration" into "creativity, productivity, strength and resilience".
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is Shakira's 12th studio album, following 2017's El Dorado.
Shakira and Gerard have two children together, Milan, 11, and Sasha, nine.
