"My songs are the reflection of how I think and how I feel in that moment. But I'm conscious of the fact that artists have a responsibility before the masses and they have to take care with their words"
About this Quote
The phrase “before the masses” is deliberately old-fashioned, almost political. It casts the artist not as a private individual venting into a microphone, but as someone standing at a podium where language can be copied, clipped, mistranslated, and mobilized. In a global pop career like Shakira’s, words don’t just land in a fan’s headphones; they travel across cultures, class boundaries, and headlines. That’s especially true for a bilingual artist whose lyrics can be read as flirtation in one market and as a statement in another.
The subtext is a negotiation between brand and ethics. Pop rewards provocation, but it also punishes missteps with viral speed. “Responsibility” functions as both genuine principle and strategic self-positioning: she claims agency over her message while signaling she’s not reckless, not cynical, not above the audience. “Take care” is soft language for a hard reality: in mass culture, a lyric can be a weapon, a stereotype, a rallying cry, or a wound. Shakira is describing the moment an artist realizes the mic is also a megaphone.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Shakira. (n.d.). My songs are the reflection of how I think and how I feel in that moment. But I'm conscious of the fact that artists have a responsibility before the masses and they have to take care with their words. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-songs-are-the-reflection-of-how-i-think-and-135302/
Chicago Style
Shakira. "My songs are the reflection of how I think and how I feel in that moment. But I'm conscious of the fact that artists have a responsibility before the masses and they have to take care with their words." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-songs-are-the-reflection-of-how-i-think-and-135302/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My songs are the reflection of how I think and how I feel in that moment. But I'm conscious of the fact that artists have a responsibility before the masses and they have to take care with their words." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-songs-are-the-reflection-of-how-i-think-and-135302/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
