What does the word ‘acróstico’ mean in Shakira’s new song? What’s the meaning of acrostic?

Shakira has launched her new single ‘Acróstico’ (acrostic) by appearing in a video clip with her children Milan and Sasha while they played the piano. In a matter of hours, the song reached three million views, some time after the lyrics of the composition appeared on YouTube.

The Colombian singer posted the video on her official Instagram account where she gives a nod to her children, who are the main theme of the new song that she released some time after her separation from Gerard Piqué, a Spanish former soccer player, and after she dropped songs that referenced her breakup with her ex-husband.

“This year Milan has written songs that made me cry with emotion and Sasha has spent hours at the piano, discovering her voice. Both have shared my side in the studio and upon hearing this song dedicated to them they have asked to take part in it,” Shakira wrote.

The artist said that her children believe that the song was felt and interpreted for and by them, “with the passion and feeling of those who carry music inside. Milan and Sasha, it’s so nice to see how they spread their wings to start realizing their dreams,” she said. Shakira added that nothing made her more full than to be her children’s mother.

What does the word acrostic mean in Shakira's new song?

An acrostic is a poetic composition made up of verses, where certain letters form a word or phrase. There are different types of acrostics, that depend on where the word or phrase in question is formed. In the case of Shakira’s new song, it is constructed so that the first letter of each line of lyrics spells the names of her children.

Me enseñaste que el amor no es una estafa, y que cuando es real no se acaba

Intenté que no me veas llorar, que no vieras mi fragilidad, pero

Las cosas no son siempre como las soñamos

A veces corremos, pero no llegamos

Nunca dudes que aquí voy a estar

You taught me that love is not a rip-off, and that when it’s real it doesn’t end/ I tried for you not to see me cry, not to see my fragility, but/Things are not always as we dream/Sometimes we run, but we don’t arrive/Never doubt that I will be here

Se nos rompió solo un plato no toda la vajilla, y aunque no sé poner la otra mejilla

Aprender a perdonar es de sabios, que solo te salga amor de esos labios

Si las cosas se dañan no se botan, se reparan, los problemas se afrontan y se encaran

Hay que reírse de la vida

A pesar de que duelan las heridas

Only one plate broke, not all the dishes, and although I don’t know how to turn the other cheek/ Learning to forgive is wise, that only love comes out of those lips/ If things are damaged, they are not thrown away, they are repaired, problems are faced and dealt with/ You have to laugh at life/Even though the wounds hurt