rogue

From a rat to a crane rescue: Mamamia recaps Shakira's very bad day on her music video set.

In my mind, the life of a mermaid always seemed glamorous. They have beautiful long hair and pretty tails, and I always imagined that the ocean looks like the bright, beautiful kingdom in the animated The Little Mermaid.

With one seconds-long video, Shakira has destroyed that idyllic dream.

She has shared a short outtake from her music video for single 'Copa Vacía', meaning 'empty cup' in English, which shows her lying on a stoney, fake beach set, dressed as a mermaid (a mermaid AND a she-wolf? What can't she do?!)

Listen: Mamamia's daily entertainment podcast The Spill. Post continues below audio.


Firstly, it is not very a very picturesque scene. The fake beach looks rocky and COVERED IN RUBBISH, and SHE HAS TO LAY DOWN ON IT.

If I was Shakira I would never lay down anywhere besides warm, golden sand and fresh silk sheets. 

So, it's already off to a rough start.

But it gets worse.

So much worse.

Because as she is lying there, a big ol' rat appears by her head.

I've tried to humanise the rat and tbh it has worked. Is it... cute now? Anyone else imagining rats wiggling their silly little bodies to 'Whenever, Wherever'?

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Shakira does the only logical thing: she burns that whole beach to the ground. 

No, I'm kidding, but she does the only other logical thing, which is to scream her head off.

It's just so VISCERAL.

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Of course, this has lead many — I mean, thousands of people in her comments section — to make the obvious, but objectively funny joke about her ex-husband Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué crashing the set.

What can I say? I laughed.

You're not going to believe me now but it does actually CONTINUE TO GET WORSE FROM HERE.

As Shakira jolts up to escape the passionate fan rat, she leaves behind half her head (of hair).

The wig looks like a portal to an even scarier, rat-infested world.

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It really shatters the illusion, doesn't it?

Although, as a fine and thin-haired girlie, this does make me feel good about my lack of follicles. That is surely a silver lining that Shakira would agree made the whole experience worth it.

She has clearly worked through the trauma, uploading the short clip with the caption (translated from Spanish), "Things that happen to mermaids," with a shrug emoji.

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I'm glad she's able to joke about it, because even discounting the rat, filming this was a very bad day at the (rocky, trash-filled) office.

In another part of the music video, mermaid Shakira goes from stoney beach to fish tank.

That is terrible, obviously. We don't condone locking anything, but especially mythical creatures with an unrealistic amount of long pink hair, in small tanks.

Recounting the filming to Primer Impacto, Shakira recalled the moment the tank broke and she had to be REMOVED WITH A CRANE.

"The fish tank broke, the set began to flood, and they had to take me out of there. I couldn't go out because I had a mermaid tail, and I couldn't climb out," she told the Spanish-language news outlet.

"Every man for himself. Good thing it was just an anecdote, and I'm here to tell it."

She said her collaborator on the song Manuel Turizo had warned her his could happen, but she didn't believe him because... she is a very famous star with a team that would surely splurge on the expensive, sturdy fish tank???

"He had told me that the fish tank would break. I thought it was impossible, believing we had impeccable safety standards. But, to my surprise, his prediction came true," she shared.

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You would think that, wouldn't you.

On the bright side, the mermaid tail meant she had to be carried around everywhere, which is fun.

Now THIS is more like it

And she came up with a brilliant, fish-based pun: Shakimi.

But geez, what a day.

Give the music video a watch, it's the least we can do for poor Shakira.

Feature image: Vevo/Instagram @shakira.

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