Chantaje Lyrics in English by Shakira, Maluma
In English, this word usually refers to the serious crime of blackmail, but the singers use chantaje to playfully describe emotional manipulation and mind games in a relationship.
It perfectly captures the feeling of a partner keeping you on a hook with an unpredictable dynamic. Master this catchy term to add some dramatic flair to your conversational Spanish!
Get ready for a classic pop battle of the sexes! In "Chantaje," Colombian superstars Shakira and Maluma play a couple locked in a seriously frustrating game of push and pull. Maluma kicks things off, complaining that she only wants him when she's lonely and pushes him away when things are good. He accuses her of playing games, saying their relationship is a "guerra de toma y dame" [a war of give and take]. He's heard rumors she's over him and challenges her to "Ven y dímelo en la cara" [Come and say it to my face].
Shakira's response is basically a masterclass in deflection. She tells him not to believe the gossip and insists, "Yo nunca tuve una mala intención" [I never had a bad intention]. But then she admits she's unpredictable: "Un día digo que no y otro que sí" [One day I say no and another I say yes]. She calls herself a masochist and selfish with her body, declaring she's "libre como el aire / No soy de ti ni de nadie" [free like the air / I'm not yours or anyone's]. The whole song is a back-and-forth where he accuses her of emotional blackmail—that's what "chantaje" means—and she basically says, "Yep, that's just how I am."
