The Barbie movie's version of feminism did not live up to Shakira's standards.
After watching the billion dollar feature film with her sons, the "She Wolf" singer tells Allure that she agreed with them that the film emasculated men.
"My sons absolutely hated [Barbie]," she revealed. "They felt that 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."
The singer, who recently released her new album on Friday, went on to clarify that pop culture should aim to lift women up without putting men down. Going along with the title of her new album, Shakira says that she finds that media is most productive when its lifting women up to be equal, while still allowing men to "protect and provide."
"I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide. 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."
Her new album aims to do just that. Her first in seven years, the LP is titled Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which translates to Women No Longer Cry. She says that she hopes the record will empower women "to find their own strengths" and to "build bridges" that enable them to shamelessly have all of the sexiness and power that they desire.
"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," she concluded. "Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?"
The album comes after a painful period for the artist, after she recently called it quits with her now ex-husband, Gerard Piqué. She considers the new album an empowering step towards owning her pain and controlling the public image surrounding her emotions.
"In the past, when women went through a difficult situation, they were expected to mind their manners, to hide the pain, to cry in silence. That's over. Now, no one will control us. No one will tell us how to heal, how to clean our wounds."
The "Hips Don't Lie" powerhouse sat down with Jimmy Fallon last week to discuss the new record, stating that she is now "rebuilding" herself after the damaging relationship.
"It was the husband. Now I'm husband-less. Yeah, the husband was dragging me down. Now I'm free. Now I can actually work."
The three-time GRAMMY-winner says that the main source of healing throughout the breakup was music. The new album has been compared to popular heartbreak albums like Beyoncé's Lemonade and Adele's 21 upon its recent debut.
With a "tour of a lifetime" planned to support the LP, it's safe to say that Shakira has successfully unleashed the "she wolf in the closet."
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