Parqués is a traditional Colombian board game similar to Parcheesi or Ludo.
In this deeply personal song, Shakira playfully confesses all her everyday flaws and quirks, singing "Juego mal hasta el parqués" (I even play parqués badly). This uniquely Colombian cultural reference adds a charming and authentic touch to her lyrics, making it a wonderful piece of vocabulary for learners to discover.
This is one of the most honest breakup songs you'll ever hear. Shakira isn't blaming anyone or asking for pity. Instead, she starts by listing all her own flaws in a way that's both funny and super direct. She admits, "Si es cuestión de confesar / No sé preparar café / Y no entiendo de fútbol" (If it's a matter of confessing / I don't know how to make coffee / And I don't understand soccer). She even confesses she cries once a month and doesn't shower on Sundays!
After laying all her cards on the table, she gets to the point. She tells her ex that even though she's a mess, "Nadie piensa en ti / Como lo hago yo" (Nobody thinks of you / like I do). She knows he's not coming back, but she can't help how she feels. The chorus says it all: "No encuentro forma alguna de olvidarte porque / Seguir amándote es inevitable" (I can't find any way to forget you because / Continuing to love you is inevitable). It's a powerful song about accepting your own imperfections and a love that just won't go away.
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.