MALUMA & SHAKIRA REUNITE ON “AGUA,” A MERENGUE THAT PLAYS WITH FIRE

In under a month, Maluma‘s name has appeared alongside the two biggest female icons music has produced in the last decade. First came Beyoncé, who brought him onto “Cuerpo (Tumbao)” for the commemorative edition of B’Day. Now it’s Shakira, with whom the global Latin star reunites on “Agua”: “We went global with the queen”.

“Agua” is a sensual merengue that crosses tropical energy with contemporary production. The vocal chemistry between the two is once again the heart of the story, this time built around a simple, effective metaphor: no matter how much water they need, when they’re together, everything ends up on fire. It’s a song of tension, flirtation, and complicity, one that recognizes the DNA of their earliest collaborations without settling into nostalgia.

The artistic relationship between Maluma and Shakira began with “Chantaje,” continued with “Trap” and “Clandestino,” and also ran through the remix of “La Bicicleta” alongside Carlos Vives—a run that produced several of Latin music’s biggest hits. Shakira was one of the first globally established artists to bet on Maluma when his international career was just beginning, and that closeness has held up over the years. The two recently spent time together again at the artist’s horse-breeding ranch in Medellín, far from studios and cameras.

Within Loco X Volver, “Agua” adds a new sonic dimension to the project. The release comes with a music video directed by Hannah Lux Davis, one of the most recognized directors in international pop. The piece builds a world where water is the connecting thread: reflections, liquid surfaces, shine, movement, and dance sustain a constant tension between the two artists, in a narrative designed to become one of the album’s strongest visual moments.

With two of the most defining names in Latin music together again, “Agua” arrives as one of the most significant releases in the Loco X Volver universe and as another chapter in a shared history now measured in years, not songs.

Shakira continues her hot streak following her headline performance of her global smash hit “Dai Dai” at the inaugural FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, watched by 2 billion people worldwide. “Dai Dai” has been hailed as the biggest song of the year internationally, spending 7 weeks at No. 1 globally. The song’s video has officially surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube and Shakira is the most-viewed female artist on the platform, further cementing her status as a global icon. Later this month, Shakira will take the stage at Shakira Stadium for her sold-out Madrid Residency, which has sold over 500,000 tickets. For the highly anticipated residency, Shakira unveiled “Es Latina”: a month-long cultural platform celebrating Spanish and Latin artists across music, fashion, art, literature, gastronomy, and dance at Macondo Park.