Why Has The Shakira and Piqué Break-Up Song Captivated Mainstream Media’s Attention?

In recent weeks, mainstream media outlets have been captivated by the story of Shakira and Gerard Piqué’s break-up and the Spanish-language diss track “BZRP Music Session 53” that resulted from it. Headlines such as “How Shakira Turned A Messy Breakup Into Her Biggest Hit In Years” and CBS This Morning’s “Shakira’s “Out of Your League” mocks ex, rocks YouTube” have flooded news feeds and social media platforms. But why has this specific Hispanic story, rooted in the personal lives of two Hispanic celebrities, caught the attention of mainstream media?

The Global Fascination with Shakira and Piqué’s Break-Up

To understand this phenomenon, it is important to first examine the events leading up to the release of Shakira’s song “BZRP Music Session 53”. Last year, rumors of infidelity involving Piqué circulated in the media, and in the summer, the couple announced their 12-year relationship had come to an end. Even before the official announcement, Shakira’s music seemed to hint at behind-the-scenes trouble. Songs like “Don’t Wait Up” and “Te Felicito” hinted at a longing for a lost spark in a relationship, and “Monotonía” dealt with the stagnation that can occur in a long-term partnership.

The break-up with Pique served as inspiration for Shakira’s latest hit. “BZRP Music Session 53” reached 63 million views on YouTube and broke records for a solo Latin artist on Spotify with 14.4 million streams in just 24 hours. The success of the song worldwide finally piqued the interest of white mainstream media in the last week.

Latino Pop Culture’s Role in American Media

Some personal assumptions on why:

• Shakira’s hit songs “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Whenever, Wherever” were on Top 40 radio and on rotation on MTV’s TRL which built the foundation of a significant fan base in the US; her stint as a judge on NBC’s The Voice; and her recent Super Bowl 54 appearance with Jennifer Lopez.
• The post-breakup reclamation in the song’s lyrics appeals to anyone. The theme of moving on and empowerment after a relationship is a connective tissue to many regardless of race.

Satirical Exchange: Covering Latino Stories in White-Dominated Media

To give you a better understanding of how the Shakira news story was probably picked up by mainstream media, let me use my imagination and paint a picture of the inner workings of how these newsrooms could have gone about it.

INT. ‘THE MONOCHROME GAZETTE’ OFFICE – DAY
The camera opens on a group of white editors sitting in a Meatpacking District office with some editors on a Zoom call discussing their latest editorial meeting.

Jessica: (30s, Managing Editor) I was scrolling through TikTok on my way here and came across this Shakira break-up. It’s getting a ton of views and engagement.

Ryan: (20s, Deputy Editor) Shakira? Oh yeah, I remember her from The Voice, but I haven’t really kept up with her music. Is she still making music?

Jessica: Yeah, but it’s been in Spanish that’s why you haven’t heard from her. She’s been around for a while. But anyway, this song is really blowing up you guys. I think we should jump on the bandwagon and cover it.

Sam (20s, Social Media Editor) Are you sure? I mean, she’s not exactly mainstream anymore.

Jessica: That’s true, what was the last time you or I heard anything about her since she left The Voice, but she’s still a crossover artist. And to be real, with the entertainment news cycle being so slow right now, I think this could be a great story for us and a generator of some traffic.

Sam: Yeah, and with her Latin background, it could be a way to diversify our content a bit too.

Ryan: But let’s be careful not to spread too much “Latino” on it (everyone giggles). We don’t want to alienate our audience.

Whether satirical exchanges like this happen or not in the majority of newsrooms, we need to look at the bigger picture. Just by looking at the current coverage, white editors seem to prioritize Latino stories that are sensational and have the potential to generate high traffic and engagement, rather than those that are culturally significant. Perhaps do a follow-up story on Latin Grammy Award-winning producer Bizarrap and his famous Bzrp Music Sessions that are viewed millions of times. Will we see it soon? It will likely not happen.

Shakira’s Anthem: A Case Study in Cultural Significance

Throughout America’s history of cultural discrimination, its overinflated sense of preeminence and the exclusion of diverse voices in mainstream media have led to a lack of representation and understanding of anything foreign. This is where the story of Shakira’s break-up anthem becomes significant. Even though Shakira’s song has finally attracted attention from white mainstream media, it has been a topic of discussion within the Latin community for quite some time already. Spanish and Latino media outlets have been covering the story of Shakira and Pique’s break-up for weeks now. The difference in coverage also highlights the gap between white mainstream media and US Latino media, and how being “American famous” and “Latino famous” are not the same thing.

Bridging the Gap: From Latino Famous to American Famous

The song’s success is not just a story about Shakira and Pique’s break-up, it’s a story about the power and influence of the Latin music industry and the importance of representation in American mainstream media as a common part of the editorial coverage. The reason this article exists is a reflection of the larger cultural and political issues in America that Latinos have to go through for basic exposure. It is crucial for media outlets in 2023 to approach stories with a cultural and global context in mind, much like Ben Smith and his global media outlet Semafor, and to make a real effort to understand Latino pop culture because failure to do so means missing out on a vast readership of millions in traffic, relevance and financial gain.

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