Paréntesis literally translates to "parentheses", the punctuation marks (). It's a very unusual and clever word to find in a song, making it super interesting to learn.
Shakira sings, "Pusiste el final entre paréntesis" (You put the ending in parentheses). She uses this metaphor to express that her partner is treating their breakup as something uncertain or not quite final, like an afterthought bracketed off from the main story. This unique phrase perfectly captures the feeling of an unresolved ending to a relationship.
This song is a straight-up confrontation. Shakira and Grupo Frontera sing about that awful feeling when you know a relationship is over, but your partner won't admit it. She lays out all the evidence: "Tus besos ya no saben a lo que sabían" (Your kisses don't taste like they used to) and "Sigues durmiendo en mi cama, pero la siento vacía" (You're still sleeping in my bed, but I feel it's empty). It’s about noticing all the small, cold details that show the love is gone.
The core idea is in the line "Se nota cuando se quiere, pero cuando no, se nota más" (You can tell when there's love, but when there isn't, you can tell even more). The singer knows their partner is thinking of someone else and just wants them to be honest instead of pretending. The title itself is the perfect metaphor for this situation: "Pusiste el final entre paréntesis" (You put the end in parentheses). It means the end is already there, just unofficially, leaving the singer in a painful limbo.
Shakira signed to Sony Music Colombia at thirteen, and her debut album Magia sold about 1,200 copies in Colombia. Born in Barranquilla in 1977 to a family of Lebanese, Catalan and Colombian descent, she was belly dancing by four, after hearing Arabic drumming at a Middle Eastern restaurant near home, and she has written or co-written most of what she records.
The breakthrough came with Pies Descalzos (1995) and its single "Estoy Aquí", and ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998) followed with "Ciega, Sordomuda" and "Ojos Así". She moved into English on Laundry Service (2001), whose "Whenever, Wherever" was released in Spanish as "Suerte", then topped the US Hot 100 in 2006 with "Hips Don’t Lie", featuring Wyclef Jean. "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", recorded with the South African band Freshlyground, was the official song of the 2010 World Cup. Her 2023 session with Argentine producer Bizarrap won Latin Grammy Song of the Year, and Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran took Best Latin Pop Album at the 2025 Grammys, her fourth Grammy next to fifteen Latin Grammys.