The 32-year-old singer took a break from making music and enrolled on a history course after releasing 2006 album 'Oral Fixation Vol. 2' in 2006 because she wanted to step out of the public spotlight for a while.During her time as a student at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), the Columbian-born beauty dressed in disguise and changed her name to prevent people finding out her true identity.
She told The Guardian newspaper: "I needed a break from me. The universe is so broad, I cannot be at the centre of it. So I decided to go to the university and study history for a summer course, just to kind of switch gears, taste the student life.
"I used to wear a cap and a big backpack, I looked like a boy. I didn't get recognised. Some people looked at me very suspiciously, a few people asked me, but I told them my name was Isabelle.
"I would go to university over and over again if I could."
Shakira - who has an estimated fortune of £26 million after selling over 50 million albums worldwide - has also revealed she can't understand why she still loves making music after so many years.
Shakira - who has an estimated fortune of £26 million after selling over 50 million albums worldwide - has also revealed she can't understand why she still loves making music after so many years.
The 'She Wolf' star explained: "I should care less. It has been 20 years, but I still care about my career. I care about the music. I'm not normal."
