Shakira fans online are flipping out over the possibility that the popularity of the “Monotonia” singer could put her fútbol-playing ex-boyfriend Gerard Piqué in an awkward position on the field.
It’s only a rumor now, but fans are wondering if sometime in the near future Piqué would have to wear his Barcelona team jersey with Shakira’s name printed on the front of it. How exactly would that happen, you ask? Earlier this year, Barcelona signed Spotify to become its main sponsor, which includes changes to the team’s jersey during the season.
Last weekend, Barcelona wore jerseys with rapper Drake’s logo printed on the front of it in celebration of the artist surpassing 50 billion streams on Spotify.
“For the first time in our history, we are replacing the name of our main sponsor on the front of the jersey with an internationally acclaimed artist, Drake,” Juli Guiu, vice president of marketing for FC Barcelona, said in a press release. “This initiative shows our potential to become a unique platform to offer experiences that help bring us closer to our fans while reaching out to new audiences around the world.”
Barcelona added: “This type of exchange on the front of the jersey is scheduled to happen more as the season progresses.”
Now, Shakira fans are imagining the same could be done for the Colombian pop star since she is one of the highest-streamed Latina artists on the platform. Some are even saving Barcelona and Spotify some time and designing the jersey themselves.
This past summer, Shakira made history when her 2005 song “Hips Don’t Lie” reached a billion streams.
With the recent release of her new song “Monontonia,” which apparently addresses her split with Piqué, Shakira’s streaming numbers are only going to rise on Spotify in the weeks and months to come. Does that mean Spotify will request that her name be featured on one of Barcelona’s customized jerseys this season?
If it was up to Shakira’s devotees, the answer would be a resounding yes, especially since her relationship with Piqué allegedly ended because of his infidelity. Last month, Shakira said her break-up with Piqué has been “the darkest hour of my life.”
If Piqué ends up having to wear a Shakira jersey in an upcoming match, that moment just might be his.