Shakira sent temperatures soaring in already sultry Miami on Wednesday when she appeared at the Faena Forum for Billboard’s Latin Music Week.
The 46-year-old Colombian singer was on hand for a conversation about her whirlwind career, her songwriting inspirations and her move to the US from Barcelona, Spain.
The hitmaker – whose rumored love interest Jimmy Butler recently busted the suggestion that they were dating – looked years younger than her actual age thanks to her flawless skin and a steamy black leather mini dress she wore on the way to the chat on the stage.
Shakira (full name: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) put on a busty show in her plunging dress with thin spaghetti straps.
The glossy look included a thick belt around her midriff to emphasize her hourglass figure.
Sweltering: Shakira sent temperatures soaring in already sultry Miami on Wednesday when she appeared at the Faena Forum for Billboard’s Latin Music Week
The skirt featured a thick pleated skirt that made it resemble a romper, and the singer-songwriter showed off a hint of her thighs underneath.
Judging by her ear-to-ear grin, Shakira didn’t seem too concerned about wearing an outfit that wasn’t particularly breathable.
The 6-foot-2 beauty upped her height a bit with her tall black leather boots with platform soles and high heels.
She styled her long hair with a center parting and wore her caramel locks in voluminous waves that cascaded down her shoulders as she framed her impeccably made-up face.
She dressed up with chunky brown sunglasses and a statement black leather handbag decorated with large silver ovals.
She added some more sparkle to the edgy ensemble with a statement silver and gold chain around her throat.
Shakira looked like a queen arriving at the Faena Forum, where she was surrounded by security and staff.
As she entered the building, she stopped to talk to a little girl who was excited to see her.
Update: The 46-year-old Colombian singer was on hand for a chat about her whirlwind career, her songwriting inspiration and her move to the US from Barcelona, Spain
Back in black: The hitmaker looked years younger than her real age thanks to her flawless skin and a steamy black leather mini dress she wore on the way to the on-stage chat
Fit figure: Shakira put on a busty show in her plunging dress. The glossy look included a thick belt around her midriff to emphasize her hourglass figure
Curves ahead! The glossy look included a thick belt around her midriff to emphasize her hourglass figure
Standing: The 1.80 meter beauty increased her height a bit with her high black leather boots, with platform soles and high heels
Gorgeous: She styled her long hair with a center parting and wore her caramel locks in voluminous waves that cascaded down her shoulders as she framed her impeccably made-up face
Sweet: Shakira looked like a queen arriving at the Faena Forum, where she was surrounded by security and staff. As she entered the building, she stopped to talk to a little girl who was excited to see her
During the event, Shakira spoke about her long-time caregiver and her inspirations.
She joked that her creative juices were flowing at this time, although at other times she had to be “dragged” into the studio to record new music.
“I’m very inspired, I’m in the mood,” she said Billboard. ‘There have been times when they had to take me to the studio with a crane, they had to drag me.
‘Sometimes you have an argument with your work, everyone does. But now I’m in a honeymoon phase with making music and with my career. “I am in love with what I do,” she said.
She went on to describe writing new songs as “therapeutic,” and thanked her legions of fans for “embracing” and “comforting” her through her various struggles.
Shakira also admitted that her young sons Milan, nine, and Sasha, seven – both of whom she shares with her former partner Gerard Piqué – had pushed her to make new musical collaborators, despite being so young.
She also talked about her move from Barcelona to Miami after her difficult divorce from Piqué. The singer is also facing two separate Spanish trials for tax evasion, which may also have been the reason she left the country.
She said she felt like living in Barcelona was like “being practically alone” as the city does not have an “active music industry.” She added that when she had ideas for new music, she had to postpone them until her producer was already in Europe and “felt like coming to Barcelona.”
Motivation: During the event, Shakira spoke about her long-term caregiver and her inspirations. She joked that her creative juices were flowing at this time, although at other times she had to be “dragged” into the studio to record new music.
Change of location: She also talked about her move from Barcelona to Miami after divorcing Gerard Piqué. She is facing two separate Spanish trials for tax evasion, which may also have motivated her decision
Away from the action: She complained that Barcelona didn’t have a big music industry and that she had to wait for her producer to travel through there if she wanted to record something
Stage time: Once inside the event location, she took the stage
Wow! She oozed sex appeal as she walked across the stage in her sky-high black vinyl boots
Have a ball! Shakira laughed as she conducted a question and answer session
The arrangement meant that some of her ideas fizzled before they could be developed in the studio.
“I think that’s why I was unmotivated,” she added. “Being here now, close to so many colleagues, producers, musicians and friends, is a great motivation.”
She also reflected that singing in her native Spanish had become “the coolest thing ever,” compared to her early American breakthroughs, when she had to sing in English to attract new audiences.
“Age doesn’t matter, genre doesn’t matter, state doesn’t matter, language doesn’t matter,” she said. ‘It’s about an artist connecting with his audience through music.’