(Photo : Reuters)

Many fans were shocked when Colombian singer Shakira announced that she wil be retiring due to depression. Depression is said to be one of the leading causes of death in America in 2017. Its ripple effects could even lead a person from productive to unproductive and is usually evident by changes in moods. In a previous article published by Latin Post, the following are symptoms of a person who may be experiencing depression:

  • Persistent sadness without foreseeable reason
  • Anxiety
  • Feelings of worthlessness or helplessness
  • having difficulties in remembering, concentrating and/or making decisions

This mental issue is indeed a big problem as it can sometimes lead to suicide. This mental health issue has killed hundreds of thousands of people and continues to lead millions of Americans to attempt, or commit, the same. Moreover, the U.S. government spent billions of dollars in 2017 due to depression that led to suicide. 

In the past few weeks, it was rumored that the 42-year-old Colombian singer Shakira will be formally announcing her retirement in the music industry. Shakira is known as a singer, dancer, songwriter, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She has received also several awards since the beginning of her career, most especially in the Grammy Awards. 

Shakira said that she is not enjoying her work anymore or cannot enjoy pursue her craft because of vocal cord problems. However, despite her rumored retirement, she will not completely leave the scene as she will be working on the creative aspects of the music. 

In an article published in Latin Times, there might be a reason why Shakira was rumored to retire in the music industry. According to a report from The Guardian, Shakira is said to experience depression after she almost lost her voice and found out that she needed to undergo surgery due to a hemorrhage in her vocal cords. 

The Colombian singer said that it was in 2017 and that she could barely speak and was required to use sign language to communicate. That was the time she got depressed and thought that her career might be over.

Shakira told reporters from Latin Times that she "always thought there were going to be things in [her] life that would go away, like beauty, youth, all of that stuff, but [she] never thought that [her] voice would leave [her] because it's so inherent to [her] nature."

"It was my identity." she stated. 

What ignited the rumors of her depression was when she said that it is unbearable for her to sing and it was also hard for her to get out of bed because she felt depressed.

Despite her experience, Shakira is still lucky after she got back her beautiful voice. Her medical doctor told her to have the surgery, but Shakira instead relied on meditation, hypnosis and visiting Lourdes for Holy water. Fortunately, it worked for her and she was able to recover without undergoing surgery. 

With the religious experience that she had, and since her precious voice has returned, it seems that the rumor about her retirement is not true at all. The Colombian singer's miracle recovery is a sign that she will not be retiring soon. If it will happen, it might be years from now. Meanwhile, Shakira will have a Superbowl Halftime Show on February 2, 2020, at the Hardrock Stadium in Miami, Florida, together with Jennifer Lopez.