Shakira Never Thought She'd Split from Ex Gerard Piqué: 'I Believed in 'Till Death Do Us Part'

"My priority was my home, my family," the Colombian superstar tells 'Billboard' in a cover story

Shakira thought she would spend forever with longtime partner Gerard Piqué.

The Colombian superstar opened up about their relationship — following the end of their 11-year romance in June 2022 — and how she believed in "'till death do us part" in a new cover story for Billboard.

"My priority was my home, my family. I believed in “till death do us part.” I believed that dream, and I had that dream for myself, for my children," she told the publication. "My parents have been together, I don’t know, 50 years, and they love each other like the first day, with a love that’s unique and unrepeatable. So I know it’s possible."

Shakira noted that her parents have always been her "example."

"It’s what I wanted for myself and my children, but it didn’t happen," she says of her relationship with Piqué.

Related: Shakira Learned She Was 'Betrayed' by Ex Gerard Pique While Her Dad Was in the ICU: 'Everything Happened at Once'

Elsewhere in the interview, Shakira explained that it was "very difficult" for her to focus on her professional career while in Barcelona where she lived with the former Spanish soccer player.

"Well, the thing is, I was dedicated to him. To the family, to him," she says, referring to Piqué. "It was very difficult for me to attend to my professional career while in Barcelona."

She continued, "It was complicated logistically to get a collaborator there. I had to wait for agendas to coincide or for someone to deign to come. I couldn’t leave my children and just go somewhere to make music outside my house. It was hard to maintain the rhythm."

Now, Shakira is able to work freely, which she credits to a location change.

"Something inescapable about Miami, Los Angeles, the U.S. in general is I have the logistical and technical support, the resources, the tools, the people. Living in Spain, all that was on hold," the "Hips Don't Lie" singer explains.

Shakira shares two sons with , Milan, 10, and Sasha, 78 with Piqué. The former couple met in March 2011 on the set of her music video for "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," which was the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Related: Shakira Stresses Importance of 'Being Faithful to Ourselves' After Split from Ex Gerard Piqué

Shakira also opened up to Billboard about the global tour plans she has for 2024.

While her concerts have often been extravagant affairs, she wants "tickets to be affordable." However, "the most important thing is the repertoire."

"That’s why I think [my next tour] will be the tour of a lifetime, because I have so many songs," she tells the outlet.

In the story, WME music partner Keith Sarkisian reveals the tour "will include arena and stadium shows in nearly two dozen countries across Latin America, North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.