Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010) and El Dorado (2017), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and were certified diamond (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, her English albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009) and Shakira (2014) were all certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide. She served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice (2013–2014).
With a catalog of 145 songs, Shakira has sold over 80 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Forbes Colombia reported that as of 2018, she is the top-selling female Latin artist of all time. She is credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists. She has received numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, twelve Latin Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, twenty-one Guinness World Records and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade by Billboard twice (2000s and 2010s). For her philanthropic work with her Barefoot Foundation and her contributions to music she received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year awards in 2011. She was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the US in 2011, and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012.
Costume Makes the Clown
Shakira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I don't
Said that I was sure the world was gonna change
Well, I'm not
Before I didn't give a damn 'bout what they say
But I do
Promised that I'll never-ever lie to you
Taking the make-up off my face
Before I forget my own features
I'm not here to let you down
But the costume makes the clown
It's just lashing out on me, don't be so hard
Don't be so hard on this
It's your turn now
To cheat on me
Promises I made to you went down the sink
Really hope I haven't harmed your self-esteem
I'm not a virgin but I'm not the whore you think
And I don't always smell like strawberries and cream
So you can hide
I'm taking the make-up off my face
Before I forget who I am now
'Cause I'm not here to let you down
But the costume makes the clown
It's just life's anatomy, don't be so hard
Don't be so hard on this
It's your turn now, turn now
I'm not here to let you down
But the costume makes the clown
It's just life's anatomy, don't be so hard
Don't be so hard on this
It's your turn now, your turn now
So don't shit on me
The lyrics to Shakira's song "Costume Makes the Clown" explore the idea of self-discovery and self-acceptance, and the societal pressures that can often make people feel like they need to change themselves to fit in. The opening lines, "Told you I felt lucky with my humble breasts, well I don't," suggest that the singer has internalized a sense of shame or insecurity about her body. She also acknowledges that the promises she made to her partner may have been broken, and expresses hope that she hasn't hurt their self-esteem.
The chorus, "I'm not here to let you down, but the costume makes the clown," suggests that the singer is aware of the act she puts on for others, and that it's not truly who she is. The metaphor of the clown and their costume implies that people often feel like they need to put on a show for others, conforming to societal expectations and hiding their true selves. However, the singer pleads with their partner to not be too hard on them, recognizing that they too are likely struggling with similar issues.
Overall, the song is an introspective and vulnerable exploration of the pressures placed on individuals to conform, and the struggle to find and accept oneself in the face of those pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
Told you I felt lucky with my humble breasts
I expressed my contentment with my small breasts to you
Well, I don't
However, I am not really satisfied with them
Said that I was sure the world was gonna change
I confidently claimed that the world was going to change
Well, I'm not
But unfortunately, it isn't changing as I had hoped
Before I didn't give a damn 'bout what they say
Previously, I didn't care about people's opinions
But I do
However, now I am starting to care more about them
Promised that I'll never-ever lie to you
I made a promise that I would never lie to you
So you can't hide
Therefore, you cannot conceal things from me
Taking the make-up off my face
I am removing makeup from my face
Before I forget my own features
Because I do not want to forget what I actually look like
I'm not here to let you down
I do not intend to disappoint you
But the costume makes the clown
However, sometimes what I wear can greatly affect how I am perceived
It's just lashing out on me, don't be so hard
Others are being too critical of me for it
Don't be so hard on this
So please do not be overly critical
It's your turn now
Now it is your turn
To cheat on me
To betray me
Promises I made to you went down the sink
The promises I made to you were broken
Really hope I haven't harmed your self-esteem
I truly hope that I did not damage your confidence in yourself
I'm not a virgin but I'm not the whore you think
I am not a virgin, but I am not as promiscuous as you may believe
And I don't always smell like strawberries and cream
I do not always smell as sweet as you might assume
So you can hide
So you may try to hide things from me
I'm taking the make-up off my face
I am taking off my makeup
Before I forget who I am now
So that I do not forget who I have become
'Cause I'm not here to let you down
As I mentioned before, I do not want to disappoint you
It's just life's anatomy, don't be so hard
This is just a natural part of life, do not be too harsh
It's your turn now, turn now
Now it is your turn - take the lead
So don't shit on me
So please do not treat me poorly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brendan Buckley, Shakira Isabel Mebarak
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lizy barcellos
Amo essa shakira rock' N' roll
JD Turnier
Igual
Mody Sánchez Ramírez
ML ML
MN. MK m
Ñ.
. A
MN
Oralia Díaz G.
La mejor canción en inglés de Shakira, #Rock 😀✌🏻.
Tiene que tener más vistas ya, apoyenla más, 😔.
Eduardo Gil
Ese album es genial
z2nice1983
I don't understand Spanish. I'm Italian and Greek, but I love Shakira's music.
Projeto R.M.
@Jojo Koulermou It is, but not so much. You can't understand things 100% clearly.
Jojo Koulermou
but aren't Italian and Spanish similar? I am Greek as well!
Aliana Manzana
Well good thing this isn’t Spanish :D
Elena Morales Barrios
En Diciembre 2020 dándole palo a este álbum!! (*_*) Te amo Shaki!!