Nuevo Culture

Shakira Catches Some Waves in the Video for New Single ‘Don’t Wait Up’

Shakira has dropped the video for the new song “Don’t Wait Up.” It’s the Colombian star’s first new solo song since 2017’s El Dorado and her first English-language single since 2016’s “Try Anything.”

The track boasts a heavy drum grove and a spare but punchy assortment of synths. The video for the song, which was filmed in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, boasts plenty of dance floor footage and slick choreography, although the best sequences are when Shakira’s catching some waves on a neon-lit surfboard.

“I’m excited to share my new song ‘Don’t Wait Up’ with everyone — the day we came up with this in the studio, I knew it would be perfect for summer and those nights where you just want to not think about tomorrow!” Shakira said in a statement.

The singer teased the song earlier in the week via an Instagram post featuring a text message exchange and tiny snippets of the song. Hinting at the lyrics’ themes of needing to cut loose, the text message thread begins with “Where are you?” with the person on the other end asking Shakira “When are you coming home?” “Don’t be afraid if its gets late,” she says, adding, “I need to do something for myself.” While the person texting her gets increasingly more concerned, she responds with “You’ll survive it’s just one night.” “I wish I’d be happy without ya,” and “Don’t wait up.”


“Don’t Wait Up” will presumably appear on the follow-up to Shakira’s Grammy-winning El Dorado. While this is her first solo material in four years, she dropped a couple of collaborations last year as well as a stunning Super Bowl Halftime performance with Jennifer Lopez, including “Me Gusta” with Anuel AA and “Girl Like Me” with the Black Eyed Peas. She also performed during the virtual Global Goal: Unite for Our Future — The Concert, which centered around the impact Covid-19 has on marginalized communities.

Earlier this year, Shakira sold her music catalog to Hipgnosis Song Fund for an undisclosed amount. In 2019 she released Shakira in Concert: El Dorado World Tour, a documentary that details her return to the stage after suffering a vocal cord hemorrhage injury.