The countdown reached Times Square nine months early on Tuesday night (March 26), where thousands of people gathered at the iconic tourist destination, not to watch the famous New Year’s Eve ball drop but the Colombian superstar Shakira.

The artist surprised her followers with a “pop-up” concert announced just hours earlier on her social media, and about 40,000 fans, according to figures provided by the organizers, responded to her call to celebrate her first LP in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, released last Friday.

A huge electronic billboard that covered part of a skyscraper announced the free show with a clock counting down to its start. At around 7:30 p.m. ET, the crowd enthusiastically chanted from ten to zero and two large doors hidden in the jumbotron opened to reveal the TSX Stage, and Shakira opening with her No. 1 Hot 100 hit “Hips Don’t Lie.”

“Hola New York! Oh my God, this is amazing, absolutely insane,” she said immediately after in Spanglish. It’s so awesome to see you again, to sing for you… Nothing compares to this. Thank you so much for all the love that you’ve been giving me this week during the release of my new album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. And thank you, thank you, thank you for showing up.”  

Dressed in black pants and top with silver embellishments, the self-proclaimed She-Wolf delighted the crowd by singing live — along with a band and a group of dancers — songs such as “Te Felicito”, “TQM”, “Cómo Dónde y Cuándo” and “Puntería”, before closing with the mega hit “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”

“I’m happy to be here surrounded by my Latin people,” said the 14-times Latin Grammy and three-times Grammy winner. “Thank you New York. Until next time. I love you very much.”

Tuesday’s show was co-produced by TSX Entertainment, with presenting partners ViX, Vinfast and Sony Music Latin. It took place the day after Shakira’s appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she performed “Puntería” and spoke candidly about her former relationship with soccer star Gerard Piqué, and why it took her so long to release a new LP since 2017’s El Dorado. “Now I’m husband-less,” the She-Wolf declared. (Shakira and Piqué — who announced their split in 2022 — never married during their 11-year relationship, but share two sons.) “The husband was dragging me down. Now I’m free. Now I can actually work.”

Watch part of Shakira’s performance in Times Square below: