A ‘bunker’ in purgatory: Shakira’s complicated relationship with Barcelona
In 2010, Shakira was riding a Harley without a helmet down Barcelona’s Moll de la Fusta, howling like a wolf. Now, she is living in an anti-paparazzi “bunker” in the Catalan municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat. She even put up a witch-like mannequin on her balcony, facing her ex mother-in-law’s house. So what happened between the song Loca, when the Colombian singer was filmed skating down the Barceloneta beach, surrounded by crowds and taking a dip in city fountains in broad daylight, and this year’s BZRP session #53, where she is secluded in an airless studio, voicing her rage and complaining that she lives practically like a hostage? One could say that Shakira’s relationship with Barcelona is similar to that of a movie that appears great in the trailer, but ultimately fails to deliver. She has had quiet but cut-off life, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. “In Barcelona, Shakira has had a comfortable and quiet life. Now she wants to sell her house and get out b...