Shakira: “I’ve always been quite emotionally dependent on men”

Shakira opened up for the first time since her breakup with Gerard Piqué stirred up controversy. Four days after the release of her latest song with Karol G, the 46-year-old singer decided to do her first interview with Televisa, a Mexican TV channel.

Related: Shakira’s new song is full of attacks on Piqué: This is “TQG”

Piqué's family angered by Shakira’s most recent decision

In a short segment of her interview, which premiered on prime time television, Shakira admitted that she had always been emotionally dependent on men and that she had dreams of having a family, but that this mindset changed after her breakup with Piqué.

“I think I also bought into this story that a man needs a woman in order to be complete,” said Shakira. “I had this dream of having a family, and my children would have a mom and a dad under the same roof.”

“Not all dreams come true in life, but life finds a way to make up for it somehow,” she continued. “And I think that with me, it’s done so by giving me these two wonderful children to raise, who fill me with love every single day.”

“I also fell for this fable that a woman needs a man, because I’ve also always been quite emotionally dependent on men, I have to admit. I’ve been in love with love and I think now, I’ve managed to understand this story from another perspective and understand that I myself am enough.”

“When a woman has to face life’s battles, she comes out stronger. When you come out stronger, it’s because you’ve learned how to confront your own weaknesses, accept your vulnerability, you’ve expressed what you feel, this pain, because they say that the opposite of depression is expression. But I’ve managed to feel like I alone am enough, something I never thought I would manage. Now, I feel complete and I depend only on myself. I also have two children who depend on me, so I have to be stronger than a lion. For that strength to last and not fade, it has to be a strength resulting from a battle, and then accepting it, understanding and tolerating the frustration. Knowing that there are things in life that you want but may never have, that there are dreams that will be broken, and that you have to pick up the pieces and rebuild yourself.”

A different Shakira before and after the Bzrp Music Sessions 53

Shakira and Piqué's breakup sparked even more controversy with the release of the song that the Colombian put together with the Argentinian producer and DJ, Bizarrap, which is playing everywhere you go right now. Shakira confirmed that the session helped her to vent and that she badly needed that.

“Someone should have taken my photo the day I worked on the Bizarrap Session 53 - a before and after. Because I went into the studio one way and left in a completely different way. It’s one thing I’m thankful to Biza for - he gave me this space, this opportunity to let it out and it really was a huge release, necessary for my own healing, for my own recovery process,” said Shakira.

“I think that I would be in a different place had I not done this song, if I had not been given this possibility to express myself, to think about the pain. It was very important to feel what I felt, because after you experience heartbreak, betrayal, disappointment, whatever is happening at the moment, you have to feel what you feel, but you have to think about what you’re feeling.”

Where to watch Shakira’s complete Televisa interview

Televisa only shared a short segment of the interview. The rest is available now on their streaming site, Vix Plus.