In 2010, Shakira began work on ninth studio album Sale el Sol. The singer split the album into three musical "directions," one of which is "very rock and roll." Shakira, who was a rock artist at the beginning of her career but later took on a more pop-influenced approach, said it had been "fun to re-encounter that side of my artistic personality." The title track is an alternative rock song, with additional influences of folk and Latin music. Written and produced by Shakira and her frequent collaborator Luis Fernando Ochoa, "Sale el Sol" is a call for "optimism through difficult times." The words "Sale el Sol" are Spanish for "The Sun Comes Out," and Shakira explained why she chose the motif of the rise of the sun, saying:
