South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Becky G unveils every side of herself in ‘genre-less’ album
Becky G finds every bit of her represented in the songs of her new album, “Esquemas.”
“I can feel the parts of me that feel empowered. I can feel the parts of me that feel sexy. I can feel the parts of me that feel strong. I can feel the parts of me that feel vulnerable,” the Latin star says.
The 14-track “Esquemas,” which can be translated as outlines, includes the hit “Mamiii” with Karol G, as well as the previously released singles “No Mienten,” “Fulanito” with El Alfa, “Baile Con Mi Ex” and “Ram Pam Pam,” with Natti Natasha.
“‘Esquemas’ is literally a genre-bending or genreless album. Its songs are really just based on storytelling, real, true emotion and empowerment, for sure,” the Mexican-American singer said.
This interview with Becky G has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: You open the album with the uplifting “Buen Dia” (“Good Day”). Tell us a bit about that song. A:
“Buen Dia” is intentionally put as song No. 1 on my album because that is even a reminder to myself on my bad days that it’s never too late to have a good day, and that a day above ground it’s a success in itself, and that life is beautiful! You know, it’s an affirmation.
Q: The album closes with the hit “Mamiii.” How did this collab with Karol G come to be? A:
I’ve invited Karol to be a part of so many songs in the past, and it never happened, not because we didn’t want to work together but because of the timing or … it wasn’t the right song. The serendipity of it all was that I wasn’t looking for it — like my grandma says, “Si Dios quiere (If God is willing) is when is gonna happen.” And that’s what happened.
(Producer) Ovy (on the Drums) sent it to me during the holidays. I loved the chorus, I loved the style of production he was leaning into, and I told him, “I wanna add more regional Mexican elements, more guitar and a little ‘grito’ (scream) in the beginning,” … So “Mamiii” was done, and I guess Ovy played it for Karol, and she FaceTimed me saying, “This is it, this is the one.” And I was like, “This is it, ladies and gentlemen, this is the one!” I’m so thankful.
Q: You have a song called “Dolores” in which you tenderly try to console and uplift a woman that’s crying. Who is Dolores? A:
“Dolores” is a song that I literally would dedicate to my younger self, to my “abuelitas” (grandmothers), to my mom, to my baby sister, to any woman in my life that has ever felt unseen or misunderstood. “Dolores” is literally if you ripped out pages from my diary, and I think that’s what’s so special about “Esquemas,” that in every song I can hear myself. “Dolores” is one of those vulnerable songs.
Q: You are fully bilingual, and although you sing mostly in Spanish, you have also recorded music in English. Where do you feel more comfortable? A:
You know, I feel comfortable in Spanglish. I can do interviews in Spanish and English, and I’ll always end up speaking Spanglish anyways. That’s just part of who I am and how I grew up. My “abuelitos” (grandparents) only speak Spanish, so I learned Spanish at the same time that I learned English. But I think I actually feel more confident expressing myself through music in Spanish. I found myself as a young woman in my sound and my music in Spanish, and I think you can really hear that, because I was so young when I got signed — I was 14, and I’m 25 today.
I only started in English in music because that’s just how it happened, but I’ve always been proud to be Latina, Chicana, Mexican-American. You know, my “abuelitos” came from Jalisco, Mexico, with their clothes on their back and not a penny in their pocket, and if it weren’t for their sacrifice, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So it gives me a lot of pride to be able to sing music completely in Spanish because I am Latina.