Shakira on Writing ‘Zootopia 2’s’ Anthem: ‘The Morals in This Film Are Timeless. I Hope the Song Reflects That’

Zootopia’s biggest pop star, Gazelle, is back!

When “Zootopia 2” directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard were working on the sequel to “Zootopia,” they knew they wanted another Gazelle song.

Shakira, who voices the character and wrote “Try Everything” for the first film, returns with a new anthem, aptly titled “Zoo,” to accompany the character. “Try Everything” followed the original movie’s theme of optimism and spirit. This time, “Zoo” serves as a celebration.

Speaking with Variety about the songwriting process, Shakira says, “We wanted it to have that universal message. These are hectic times, and it’s about stopping and taking a moment to lean on each other and enjoy the moment.” Written with Ed Sheeran and Blake Slatkin, the song incorporates sounds from around the world while drawing inspiration from Latin pop. Its lyrics are designed to be an earworm: “Come on, get on up. We’re wild and we can’t be tamed. And we’re turnin’ the floor into a zoo, ooh, ooh.”

“Zootopia 2,” now in theaters, sees the return of rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman). The duo comes face-to-face with a mysterious pit viper, Gary De’Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan). As they try to solve the mystery of Gary, they’re led on an investigation to uncover a hidden reptile population. During a gala event, Gazelle takes to the stage with her troupe of tiger backup dancers and belts out “Zoo.” The moment ends abruptly when Gary is spotted, causing chaos among the animals of Zootopia.

“Zoo” was written and recorded while Shakira was on tour. In collaborating with Sheeran and Slatkin, she explains that they wanted to ensure the song remained truthful to the film. “Every detail of the song, the writing, the production, the lyrics, and the arrangement, was crafted consciously and carefully,” she says. She adds, “When I’m writing for ‘Zootopia,’ I try to channel Gazelle and think about the message that lives within the movie, and what the song should represent in the film.”

Bush recalls hearing the song for the first time. “Sometimes you hear music and say, ‘I’m not sure if it’s that one.’ This came in, and there was no question. Immediately, you hear it, and you’re like, ‘This is amazing.’”

With “Zootopia 2” focusing on themes of prejudice and fighting for one’s beliefs, Shakira says the film and song are timeless. “The morals in this film are timeless, too, and I hope that the song reflects that.” She adds, “As an ambassador of my own culture, I felt that this song was a reflection of that too.”

Watch the video below.