Shakira gives moving Woman of the Year speech at Billboard's Latin Women in Music

Shakira delivered a touching speech on womanhood while accepting the Woman of the Year award at Billboard's inaugural Latin Women in Music 2023 gala Saturday.

"This has been a year of seismic change in my life where I’ve felt more than ever and very personally what it is to be a women, and what it means," she said, according to a translation of her speech published by Billboard.

The "Hips Don't Lie" singer received the award after a record-breaking music year, during which she crushed more than a dozen Guinness World Records with "Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53." The song – which seemingly shades her ex, former soccer player Gerard Piqué – made its debut at No. 9 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. That feat alone made her the first woman to have a song on the chart's top 10 in Spanish, according to Billboard.

The 46-year-old Colombian singer spoke to a crowd of nearly 2,000 at the event, which streamed on Telemundo and Peacock Sunday.

"It’s been a year where I’ve realized we women are stronger than we think, braver than we believed, more independent than we were taught to be," Shakira said.

Shakira, Gerard Piqué reach custody agreement for two sons, aim to give them 'utmost security'

After 11 years together, Shakira and longtime partner Gerard Piqué confirm separation

Shakira said that when she felt most lost, music helped her find her way back to herself, alluding to her split from long-term partner Piqué last year.

She shared the crucial "lessons" she's learned from women.

"The most important lessons I learned from other women, and for them I wrote what I wrote and I sang what I sang. Because only a woman can love until she’s ripped apart; can speak with the most brutal honesty; can sing with anger; dance in ecstasy and be brought to tears with emotion. Only a woman can do that," she said.

Maluma, who is also Colombian, presented Shakira with the award and commended her talents.

"I’ve seen firsthand that Shakira writes her songs from the heart and her experiences, and this year she was able to turn adversity into art, emotions and pain into music, and made history with her lyrics, creating a hit that today is a universal feminine anthem: Women don’t cry, women cash in!" he said.

Shakira took special care to thank her mother, who she said has inspired her more than any other woman. "You, mami, have been my woman of the year," she said.

The singer worked on the record smashing song "#53" with producer Bizarrap as part of his Music Sessions project, writing the lyrics for the track.

"I was out of your league," she sings in the upbeat breakup song, a reference to Piqué's former career as a soccer player for Manchester United and Barcelona. The footballer retired in November.

Contributing: Naledi Ushe

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shakira gives moving award speech at Billboard's Latin Women in Music