Shakira says she needed to get back to making music to navigate her breakup with Gerard Piqué ... adding grief isn't a linear process.
The pop superstar opened up about her split from the former soccer star in a cover story in GQ Spain ... telling the magazine she stayed quiet in the months after -- but, she couldn't really begin to heal until she started writing music again.
Shakira explains it was hard to recognize all of her vulnerabilities and put them out there for the world to hear ... but, it's helped her kickstart the healing process.
BTW ... it's a cover story, so GQ took a punch of pics of the Latin pop sensation -- and, ya gotta check out the pics, 'cause she's showing Piqué everything he's missing out on after their split.
As you know ... Shakira and Gerard announced their breakup back in June 2022 after more than a decade of dating -- with reports of infidelity swirling around Gerard. Shakira has denied cheating had anything to do with the split.
Shakira's come out multiple times in recent months about her love affair with Gerard ... saying she put her career on hold for him -- adding having a husband dragged her down in general.
Nothing's holding her back anymore, and she's making hit tunes again ... looking flawless while doing it, too!