Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias performing live in concert on the opening night of their tour, at the Centre Bell, Montreal, July 14, 2012. (WENN.COM)

TORONTO - Two of the biggest Latin-pop stars in the world - with combined sales of 125 million worldwide - on the road together sure sounds like a no-brainer.

At least it did for Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias, who bring their North American co-headlining tour to Toronto's Air Canada Centre July 17 and 18 after kicking it off in Montreal.

"Jennifer and I have known each other for quite some years, and we thought it was a good idea," said Iglesias, 37, during a recent teleconference interview with Lopez. "We are the ones that are gonna be on stage. And at the end of the day, it's our responsibility. And if it goes well, it's our responsibility, and if it goes bad wrong, it's our responsibility."

As for launching the high profile tour in Canada, Iglesias says audiences across the border have been good to him.

"I love going to Montreal. It's quite a city. And then Toronto has always been good. I actually lived in Toronto. That's where I made my first album. I moved there and I lived there. I'm very close to it because, for me, it's a special city. It's one of the best crowds we're gonna see on the tour."

Lopez, 42, didn't initially remember playing in Canada even though she had co-headlined with ex-husband and salsa star Marc Anthony in both Toronto and Montreal in 2007.

"You know you're very forgetful when you're pregnant. I was pregnant."

Lopez did say the experience of being an American Idol judge has made her want to improve her own live performances.

"Absolutely," she said. "You're always telling everybody be comfortable, be natural, be in control - all of the things that make a great performer - singing from your heart and listen to the lyrics. It's so easy to say from a chair, but when you get up there, it's so hard to execute."

Both artists saying they'd like to perform with each other on the tour. Iglesias says his favourite Lopez song is If You Have My Love while Lopez says her favourite Iglesias song is Bailamos.

But who the devil is going to go on first?

"We're still talking about all that," said Lopez, a mother of 4-year-old twins with Anthony. " I think that Enrique should close. I'll go first. I'll be home in time to put the babies to bed. All those screaming girls for you, you have to close."

The challenge is merging their two styles.

"Jennifer's show is a little more synchronized, obviously more dancers, more costume change," said Iglesias. "I'm a guy, so when it comes down to costume changes, I get a little more lazy. I guess one's more a Madonna show, the other one's more a U2 show."

That comparison is definitely reflected in the way they prepare to go on stage.

Lopez says she does a lot of stretching and vocal warmups, "breaking a sweat before I go out there," while Iglesias just wants to drink alone in his room backstage, which isn't nearly as depressing as it sounds.

"I do like to have a little bit of rum, just to get rid of the nerves," he said.