Celebrity Parents Shakira Says Her Sons Sasha and Milan 'Absolutely Hated' Barbie: 'They Felt It Was Emasculating' The musician shares her two sons with ex Gerard Piqué By Hannah Sacks Hannah Sacks Hannah Sacks is a writer/reporter for the Parents team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since May 2023. Her work has previously appeared in The Toy Insider, The Toy Book, The Pop Insider, and Saratoga Living. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 2, 2024 06:28PM EDT Close Shakira for 'Allure'. Photo: Emmanuel Monsalve Shakira's sons weren't huge fans of last summer's blockbuster. In April's cover story for Allure, the musician, 47, revealed that her sons Sasha, 9, and Milan, 11, who she shares with ex Gerard Piqué, didn't like Barbie, adding that she wasn't a fan either. "My sons absolutely hated it," Shakira told the outlet. "They felt it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent." "I'm raising two boys. I want 'em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women. I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to protect and provide," she continued. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Shakira for 'Allure'. Emmanuel Monsalve Shakira's 2 Kids: All About Milan and Sasha "I believe in giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity. I think that men have a purpose in society and women have another purpose as well. We complement each other, and that complement should not be lost." Asked if women shouldn't have to do it all, Shakira answered, "Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?" In March, Shakira spoke with Zane Lowe for an interview and shared that her days are often packed as she transitions to being a single mom of two. Shakira for 'Allure'. Emmanuel Monsalve "I've been shooting a video, shooting photos, preparing for another video, preparing for my album release," the "Hips Don't Lie" singer said. "So I'm going to sleep every day around 9 a.m. The next day, 9 a.m., 11 a.m." "Yesterday, I came home at seven in the morning. My kids were already waiting for me, so I had breakfast with them, stayed up with them. Sometimes I don't even go to sleep until it's their bedtime. That's what I do because I want to spend time with my kids and put them to bed and then I pass out." Adding that "it's been intense," Shakira chalked it up to the "beauty" of balancing it all. "It's the first time I have to actually, you know, deal with so much as a single mother. So, it's challenging. But they're great."