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Shakira Explains How Her Sweet Sons Wound Up Singing on "Acróstico"

"And now they're asking for royalties. Seriously!" the "She Wolf" singer revealed on The Tonight Show, where she also performed "Puntería."

By Christopher Rudolph

Whenever, wherever, Shakira always brings the party.

How to Watch

Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC weeknights at 11:35/10:35c and next day on Peacock

It's been seven years since her last album, but the "She Wolf" singer is always worth the wait. She's proved it once again with her latest release, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, featuring the new single "Puntería" with Cardi B.

Cardi is far from the only special guest star on the album, though: Her two sons, Milan, 11, and Sasha, 9, join their mom on "Acróstico." The former The Voice Coach for Seasons 4 and 6 shared how the sweet collaboration came to be during her March 25 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

When explaining the creative process for Las Mujeres Ya No LloranJimmy Fallon asked the Colombian singer-songwriter what her sons think of the new album. "And how do the kids love it? "How are my boys?" Fallon asked.

"They said hi. They wanted to come so badly. They love you," Shakira told him. "They're like, 'Please say hi to Jimmy!'" 

RELATED: What to Know About Shakira's "Puntería" Love Interest, Lucien Laviscount

"They're on the album too. I wrote a song for them called 'Acróstico'," Shakira explained. "And you know, they hang out in the studio sometimes. So they went to visit me when I was in one of the sessions."

The boys knew the song was for them, she continued, "and they started to sing in front of the mic, and they sounded so amazing. They said, 'Mom, we want to be on the album!' So they recorded."

It seems Milan and Sasha have picked up a thing or two about the biz while watching their mom at work. "Then they wanted to be on the video, and now they're asking for royalties. Seriously! "

Sasha Piqué, Shakira, and Milan Piqué sit in the audience of the MTV Video Music Awards

"Smart kids," said Fallon.

"They're saving. They have a piggy bank, each one of them because they want to buy a car when they're older, and I've told them, 'I'm not going to buy a car for you," Shakira said. "'If you want to get a car or a phone or whatever you're going to have to get it yourself.' They have to earn it. So they're like, 'Mom, please! So when are the royalties coming? Because we need to save for the car.'" 

Milan and Sasha do indeed appear in the touching "Acróstico" video—watch it below. 

Shakira talks recruiting Cardi B for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran's "Puntería"

"They are the best guys out there. They're awesome," Fallon told Shakira, before he turned to the camera to shout out Milan and Sasha. 

Shakira also told Fallon how her collaboration with rap superstar Cardi B happened, revealing how they originally met during Paris Fashion Week.

"I met her in Paris during fashion week. And I just thought, I had this song "Punteria," which is a focus track of the album, and I thought she would be perfect for this," she explained. "Because I think this album needed a dose of someone like her. She's like the symbol of empowerment to me. She's just so unapologetic. She says what she thinks she doesn't ask for permission. This is an album that celebrates that kind of strength in women. So I thought she was perfect for this album and for that song. So I reached out to her and she said yes."

RELATED: Shakira's All-Time Best Musical Collaborations, from Beyoncé to Bizarrap

"Of course she said yes," Fallon teased. "You're Shakira!"

Later in the show, Shakira performed her new discotastic pop track, "Punteria," for the enthusiastic Tonight Show audience, who were singing along to every word. Watch her performance below. 

"Thanks @jimmyfallon for the awesome interview and making me feel at home every time I perform at your show," she later wrote on Instagram. "You are the best!!"