In 2017, Shakira surprised her New York City fans when she took to Washington Square Park for a spontaneous live busking set. With no tickets required, no prior rehearsal, and no security guards in sight, fans were stunned as Shakira waved goodbye to her celebrity status for a day and transformed into an everyday city girl for this one-off, low-key gig. And nearly ten years on, they still can’t believe this actually happened…
With this clip racking up more than 11 million views to date, Music Man readers can watch Shakira’s viral set in the video below…
Spotting a major celeb in the wild is bound to be a moment you’ll never forget. But an A-list musician offering a free gig and a glimpse of their upcoming tour? This is exactly why fans are calling Shakira one of the most humble musicians out there as she drops the glitz and glam of her usual live performances for a stripped-back acoustic set with her long-term bandmates.
Perched on a park wall wearing a dark shirt and ripped jeans, no makeup and unstyled hair, fans excitedly circle around Shakira as her acoustic guitarist jams the intro riff to her brand new single, “Chantaje.”
Its lightweight groove is the ultimate match for this sunny park concert, and once Shakira adds her laid-back and instantly cool vocal rhythms into the mix, the unplugged set quickly becomes the stuff of New York legend.
Shakira’s unfiltered talent takes the spotlight as her pitch-perfect vocals command the performance, her audience soon adding their own backing vocals over the chorus as Shakira dances along to the beat.
As this clip goes internet-viral, fans from around the world can’t get enough of Shakira’s humility and chilled-out personality as she takes her song to the city streets. One top commenter shared, “She’s so humble… The fact that singing seated down, right there, just in the park, spending time with people and performing in a so simple way… So simple, so beautiful!” while another noticed, “She’s the most down to earth celebrity I’ve ever seen. So sweet so genuine, literally the best.”
But some viewers were even more stunned by how Shakira’s NYC crowd treated this surprise performance like an everyday event. As one top commenter noted, “New Yorkers are so cool. Some are just walking by unfazed. The ones watching are appreciative and respectful that they are in the presence of a world-wide star.”