Shakira has been delivering hit after hit, getting creative with stunning music videos. Her latest single, “Copa Vacía,” featuring Manuel Turizo had a magical aspect as Shakira portrayed a mermaid. While the music video came out beautiful, the singer revealed there was a terrifying accident when the fish tank she was in suddenly broke, causing the entire set to flood. Stuck in her mermaid tail, she was unable to escape.

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Recounting the story to Primer Impacto Shakira explained, “The fish tank broke, the set began to flood, and they had to take me out of there. I couldn’t go out because I had a mermaid tail, and I couldn’t climb out.”

The crew eventually had to take her out with a crane. “Every man for himself. Good thing it was just an anecdote, and I’m here to tell it,” she said.

Interestingly, Turizo had somewhat of a premonition and warned Shakira. “He had told me that the fish tank would break. I thought it was impossible, believing we had impeccable safety standards. But, to my surprise, his prediction came true,” she shared.

Despite the mess, the single has already garnered a staggering 46 million views on YouTube just two weeks after its release.

The meaning behind the mermaid

The mermaid metaphor runs deep for Shakira, who has spent 2023 amid a public breakup involving Gerard Pique and his new girlfriend, Clara Chia.

Just minutes before the release of her music video, Shakira took to her Instagram Broadcast to share a message in Spanish with her followers. She said the mermaid was symbolic for her, acting as a fantasy.

By portraying the mermaid and putting it in a music video, she made the fantasy of a mermaid tangible; something you can see, touch, and feel.

In the second voice message on her IG Broadcast channel, Shakira says that the mermaid “sacrifices a lot for love, ending up in the trash amongst rats. Thankfully she finds herself in her natural habitat.”