Sophia Michaels
Shakira‘s family is filled with talented musicians, including her sons, Milan and Sasha. On May 15, shortly after Mother’s Day, Shakira released the music video for her song “Acróstico,” which dropped four days earlier. The touching video features 9-year-old Milan, 7-year-old Sasha, and their mom huddled around a white piano in an unpacked playroom, a nod to the family’s recent move to Miami. Between showcasing their skills on the piano, the boys also chime in with sweet vocals that prove Shakira’s angelic singing abilities run in the family.
Singing in Spanish, Shakira pays tribute to her children, delivering adages like, “Face your problems head on / You have to laugh at life / Even though the wounds hurt.” In the chorus, she proclaims her love further, singing, “All I want is your happiness / And to be with you / Your smile is my weakness.” Transitioning effortlessly into the next lyric, Sasha adds, “Loving you serves as anesthesia for the pain / It makes me feel better / I’m here for whatever you need / You came to complete what I am.” Closing out the heartfelt song, Milan sings the same lyric before Shakira leans in to give both of her sons a big hug, the pride on her face unmistakable.
“This year Milan has written songs that made me cry with emotion and Sasha has spent hours at the piano, discovering his voice.”
In addition to the touching image of the mother-son trio playing side-by-side, the video holds a deeper meaning, namely in the song lyrics. An acróstico, or acrostic, is a type of poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, name, or phrase. In the original lyrics, the first letter of each line spells out Milan’s name and then Sasha’s name. Shakira shares her sons with her ex Gerard Piqué, who went Instagram official with his new girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti, on Jan. 25.
On Instagram, the proud mom shared more about her sons’ innate appreciation for music and ability to express themselves through instruments. “This year Milan has written songs that made me cry with emotion and Sasha has spent hours at the piano, discovering his voice,” she wrote in Spanish, which is translated here. “They have both been by my side in the studio and upon hearing this song dedicated to them they have asked me to be a part of it. They have felt and interpreted it by themselves and for themselves, with the passion and feeling of those who carry music inside. Milan and Sasha, it’s so nice to see how you spread your wings to start realizing your dreams! There is nothing that makes me feel more fulfilled than being your mother.”
“Acróstico,” which will appear on her upcoming twelfth studio album, is Shakira’s first solo single since “Don’t Wait Up” in 2021 and her first solo single in Spanish since “Nada” in 2018. Earlier in the year, she released two additional collaborations: “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with Bizarrap and “TQG” with Karol G. While Shakira hasn’t revealed the names of any other guest vocalists who may appear on her upcoming album, her trio performance with her sons is already our favorite.
