Anis is the Spanish word for "anise", a spice known for its distinct, licorice-like flavor.
In the song, Shakira sings of saying goodbye to a "boca de anis" (anise-flavored mouth). This is a beautifully poetic and unusual metaphor for a kiss, suggesting something that might be sweet at first but leaves a sharp, lingering, and perhaps even unpleasant aftertaste, perfectly capturing the bittersweet feeling of leaving a lover behind.
Colombian superstar Shakira packs her bags and walks away in "Te Dejo Madrid", a punchy pop track all about walking out on someone who cannot commit. Instead of sticking around to play games, she calls out a partner with "ganas de huir" (a desire to run away) and decides she is done with anyone acting cowardly. She knows the breakup will hurt, but she brushes off the pain with a sharp comparison: "Los gatos, como yo, caen de pie" (Cats, like me, land on their feet). It is witty, direct, and shows she trusts her own resilience.
Throughout the track, she pairs everyday mess with romantic fatigue, singing that it is time to clean up "las manchas de miel sobre el mantel" (the honey stains on the tablecloth) while realizing she has started to get in the way. She says goodbye to both the city of Madrid and her lover's "boca de anís" (anise-flavored mouth), choosing the open road over staying where she is not valued. Shakira makes moving on sound like the only sensible choice when you refuse to gamble your future on someone else.
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.