“Don’t Wait Up” by Shakira

Telling someone “don’t wait up” is a poetic way of saying that you likely won’t be coming home in the evening, rather opting to spend it somewhere else more fun-filled. As logically implied by such a statement, this is something one would usually say to a person that he or she resides with. 

And when put into a romantic context, as it is in this song, then uttering it would imply that there’s some type of major discontent in the relationship. And such is the case that we’re dealing with in this narrative.

Narrative of “Don’t Wait Up”

Shakira is addressing, i.e. levying said statement against her lover. And the way she presents the scenario is that in times past, everything between them was A-okay. But now in the present, they have bothersome communication issues. And in that regard, he specifically appears to have become disinterested. 

So she has concluded that perhaps such is the result of the two of them spending too much time together. That is why Shakira is like she’s going to spend the night somewhere else. And she clarifies that she’s not going out to be with another dude but rather because she needs some me time.

Indeed based on the bridge, we can even say that by this point part of her wants the romance with the addressee to end. But the vocalist finds herself in the unenviable predicament of being attached to someone who she’s in an unedifying relationship with. 

So it seems she is hoping that making such a bold move, like chillin’ for the night without him, would bring the addressee to his senses. In other words, it may give him a taste of what life would be like if she actually dumped him. Actually the vocalist is convinced that regardless of how stink he may be acting, the addressee definitely wouldn’t want her to take it that far.

In Conclusion

All in all, “Don’t Wait Up” is a bit of an unorthodox song in the current pop music landscape. Nowadays when a female artist drops a track centered on an unappreciative lover, usually it’s like she’s concurrently in the process of letting him go and maybe even already dating someone else. 

And yes, leaving this relationship has obviously crossed Shakira’s mind. But it’s also pretty clear that she doesn’t want it to end, nor is she interested in dating other men. Rather, what she seemingly desires is to give her spoiled boo a more realistic taste of what it would feel like if he doesn’t shape up, and she does end up bouncing. But that idea aside, more expressedly she just simply needs a night out without him.

Facts about “Don’t Wait Up”

Being released on 16 July 2021, this is the first solo track Shakira has come out with since 2018’s Nada. Yet and still, “Don’t Wait Up” is actually the lead single from what will actually be her 12^th studio album, considering that the songstress’s debut project, Magia, was released way back in 1991.

Shakira first teased this track, which was issued by Sony Music Latin and Ace Entertainment, early in July, 2021.

Warren Fu directed the music video to “Don’t Wait Up”. It was filmed on Tenerife, an island off the coast of West Africa that actually belongs to Spain.

This song was written by Shakira with Ian Kirkpatrick and Emily Warren. It is entirely in English, which is not the 44 year old vocalist’s native language, considering that she was born and raised in Colombia. And she has expressed ‘nervousness’ after having dropped her first full-English track in a minute.

Shakira also produced this track, doing so alongside the aforementioned Ian Kirkpatrick.