The Columbian singer – whose songs have included bizarre lines such as 'I'm starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office' in current hit 'She Wolf' – admits she struggles to explain the meanings behind the words in her songs.

She is quoted by the Daily Telegraph newspaper as saying: 'It's hard to explain my lyrics because sometimes I just write things because they rhyme. I found this metaphor, and I thought it made a lot of sense. A coffee machine in an office has everybody's fingerprints on it. Sometimes I feel like that.' Despite holding strong political views, Shakira deliberately doesn't air them in her music because she prefers songwriting to be relaxing.

She said: 'Now that I have the chance to sit down with journalists, I can relax when it comes to music and not use it as another instrument of communication.

'When I write, my subconscious somehow finds its way to the surface. It's not such an intellectual process, it's more organic.'