"Lo Que Más" (English: "What the Most") is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira on her ninth studio album Sale el Sol. The song is written and produced by Shakira and Albert Menéndez.
Background and composition
"Lo Que Más" is a piano and cello[1]ballad[2] with a sorrowful melody.[3] In the lyrics, Shakira bids farewell to her ex Antonio de la Rúa, and reflects a once-perfect relationship that has now grown weary, devoid of any chance for revival.[3][4]
The song is the last song Shakira dedicated dedicated to her ex de la Rúa,[5][6] with whom she was in a relationship from 2000 to 2010,[7][8] and who began to distance himself from her in the last stages of their relationship.[9] Other songs she has dedicated to him include the singles "Suerte", "Día de Enero", and "No".[4][10][2]
"Lo Que Más" is featured on Shakira's ninth studio album Sale el Sol. Shakira commented on the sad songs of the album as following: "We all go through hard moments", "Whatever happened, it's right there in the songs", "I've decided that I'm not going to explain every song this time. It's hard to explain a song. These songs explain me better than I can explain them."[11]
Reception
Billboard outlined how "Lo Que Más" is "sung over solo piano and strings, a reminder of Shakira's versatility".[12]El Comercio reflected jow the song manages to catch attention and described how "you can hear fragments that make a clear allusion to an imminent breakup".[13] Elena Benavente from El Mundo Shakira's "most personal song", and encapsulated it as "devastating".[2] Carolina Martinez from Los 40 characterized the song as a "ballad with a very different rhythm to those we are now accustomed to", called the "verses of heartbreak and pain" beautiful, and compared the song to Shakira's 2022 single "Monotonía".[14] Alexis Cook from Bolavip noted how the song has "a very nostalgic rhythm and lyrics" and melody, and inscribed how the lyrics "talk about how the relationship was wearing out".[15]Radio Mitre described how "alarms rang because of the crisis with the Argentine" when Shakira released the song.[16] Ryan Book from University Wire wrote that it is "a piano ballad that Shakira pours herself into, and the passion goes a long way".[17] Jon Pareles from The New York Times reflected how the songs "Lo Que Más", "Antes de las Seis" and "Devoción" from Sale el Sol "churn with longing, regrets and loneliness".[11] Carlos Macias from Terra USA inscribed how in the song "piano and cello flow perfectly right over Shakira's controlled voice".[1] Jennifer Schaffer from The Stanford Daily portrayed the song as a tender, "sad ballad that steps into the realm of the melodramatic".[18]Cairo 360 delineated how the song "has Shakira flexing her vocals and belting out a satisfactorily melancholy ballad, while orchestral strains, piano keys and strings fill the song with notes of longing".[19]
