Ricky Martin was focused on being a great dad during the pandemic.
As the pandemic ran its deadly course on the United States last year, the dad of three was making sure his children weren't feeling the mental effects the pandemic was having on him.
"My family was doing great and I was checking up on my kids all the time, just to make sure that they're not feeling the anxiety that I was feeling, to be honest," the 49-year-old tells PEOPLE as he opens up about his Grammy-nominated album Pausa. "But they were in a really good place."
Martin's children's well-being was especially crucial as he previously revealed to PEOPLE that he himself was "really anxious" due to COVID and that creating his album "became my medicine."
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At the start of the pandemic, Martin says he had the support of his mom, who had been visiting in L.A. and ultimately stayed as COVID got worse nationwide. She stayed to help take care of his children with husband Jwan Yosef — twins Matteo and Valentino, 12, Lucia, 2, and Renn, 17 months — while he created his album.
"They were crazy happy to be with their grandparents because luckily my mom was with us the first four months of the pandemic," he says in Spanish. "She came to visit us in L.A. and I was like, 'Mom, you're not going another plane to go back home. Sorry. You're staying with us.,"
"It was great that she was with us," he adds. "While everybody was going crazy, I decided to finish my album and it helped a lot that she was there."
Martin's twins also played a role in his album-making process. While his husband shot the photos for the album, his boys helped choose the pictures.
"They were putting the set together with the lighting and the cabling and the computers because my husband took the photos of my album cover because we were in lockdown," hr says. "I couldn't hire any photographer and I was not willing to go to any studio anyway. My husband took the pictures and I would say that it was a family interest."
"My kids helped me to choose the photos. They were really honest about the pictures they loved and the ones that they hated," he adds.
Over the last few months, he's been staying in his Puerto Rico home where his kids have been able to spend even more time with Grandma.
"I can't complain. This is beautiful. I'm with my family. I've been here for quite some time now and after quarantining and doing all the tests for everybody, especially my parents. It's so surreal, but I'm very happy to be here," he says.
PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly are also teaming up to bring you some glamour and award show speculation ahead of the Grammy Awards on Sunday, even if most of the nominees and guests will be at home wearing sweatpants.
The Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS Television Network and Paramount+.
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Hosted by PEOPLE (the TV Show!) New York correspondent Jeremy Parsons and PEOPLE Every Day podcast host Janine Rubenstein, the livestream will air ahead of the award ceremony from 6:30 p.m. ET to 7:30 p.m. ET (3:30 – 4:30 p.m. PT).
The livestream will broadcast live from New York City and will feature celebrity interviews both virtual and in-person from the Grammys red carpet in Los Angeles.
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