Last week, plenty of memes emerged comparing Shakira to Paquita La Del Barrio. The iconic singer is known for her heartbreak anthems in regional Mexican music, and Shakira dropped a pretty savage one with “BZRP Music Sessions #53.” On Jan. 15, Paquita La Del Barrio offered Shakira sweet words of advice and even sang her a song.
On Sunday, Paquita sent Shakira a sweet video message. She offered her support to Shakira and reminded her to keep going strong for her children. “I heard that you had a problem with your family,” she said. “I am with you because I am a woman, and if anyone in life knows about these things, it is your friend. What can I tell you? That you give it your best shot. The important thing is that you have your children, you have someone to live for, and you have your whole life, mija, so don’t worry.”
Paquita then reflected on her legacy of making kiss-off anthems. She also sang a part of her song “Las Rodillas” to Shakira. “I have songs for all kinds of problems,” she added. “I don’t know why I came into this world. I believe that’s why I came [because] songs like these rain down on me from people who are hurting. The job we have is very nice. Don’t be down. Give it a go, as I told you. You have someone to live for, just like me. That’s what keeps us standing: Our family, children. Give it your all.”
Before sending her video message on Instagram, Paquita had responded to the memes comparing her to Shakira earlier in the week. “We are team @Shakira,” she wrote on Twitter. The singer later retweeted several messages that asked for the two artists to collaborate. Shakira’s “BZRP Music Sessions #53” with Bizarrap was likened to Paquita’s classics like “Rata De Dos Patas.
Last Friday, Shakira’s diss track to her ex-partner Gerard Piqué debuted at No. 1 on Spotify’s Global 50 chart. Reflecting on the song’s success, she wrote in an Instagram post, “This goes out to all the women who taught me that when life throws you sour lemons, there’s no other choice but to make lemonade.”