

Since its release as a single, the song has become one of the most important Latin songs to move into the mainstream English-speaking culture in the U.S. The single is Shakira's sixth in the United States, following the commercial success of her 2001 English language album Laundry Service. However, on the end of the song, Shakira's character humiliates him and says that she is not going to shed a single tear over him. He apologises extravagantly, but is ultimately thinking that some infidelity is natural for men and that for the woman not to forgive him would be tiresome and unreasonable. It tells the story of a woman who has been emotionally "tortured" because her boyfriend cheated and eventually left her for another, and has now returned begging forgiveness. The single is a duet between Shakira and Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz, both of whom also composed it along with Luis Fernando Ochoa. The song achieved large-scale success on different radio and chart formats, becoming the most famous Spanish language track of both singers worldwide and the fifth most successful song in Shakira's career behind "Hips Don't Lie", "Whenever Wherever", "Underneath Your Clothes" and "She Wolf" and the most successful song ever for Alejandro Sanz. It was recorded for Shakira's sixth studio album Fijación Oral Vol.

"La Tortura" (English: The Torture) is a Latin pop-reggaeton song performed by singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz. Y andar arrojando a los cerdos miles de perlas No puedo pedirle lo eterno a un simple mortal No puedo pedir a los olmos que entreguen peras

No puedo pedir que el invierno perdone a un rosal Tampoco te pido que vuelvas rogando perdón No pido que todos los viernes sean de fiesta
