Becky G talks about why she wanted to name her new album 'Equinas,' her inspiration for stepping into regional Mexican music, collaborations with Peso Pluma, Gabito Ballesteros, and other regional Mexican artists, going on her first headlining tour, Mi Casa, Tu Casa, continuing to embrace her Mexican-American heritage and more.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00 We're not necessarily erasing our traditions,
00:03 we're embracing tradition as well as giving it
00:05 our own new school flair.
00:07 (speaking in foreign language)
00:08 It's your girl Becky G and you are watching Billboard News.
00:11 (upbeat music)
00:13 - So you've had quite the evolution, you know,
00:20 musically as a rapper.
00:22 ♪ I won't stop till I get to the top ♪
00:25 ♪ I'm so, I'm so Becky from the block ♪
00:28 - You went from being a pop reggaeton hit maker.
00:30 (singing in foreign language)
00:34 Now you're stepping into regional Mexican music.
00:36 (singing in foreign language)
00:41 Talk to me about that evolution.
00:42 - Yeah, it's been quite the journey, girlfriend.
00:44 Honestly, like (speaking in foreign language)
00:49 I grew up listening to all kinds of music
00:51 in English and Spanish.
00:52 I consider myself a genre-less artist.
00:55 - What did you rediscover or how did you reconnect
00:58 with your heritage?
00:59 What was one thing that you learned?
01:00 - You know what's so interesting is that
01:02 I feel like that essence of me being Chicana,
01:05 born and raised in Inglewood,
01:07 and obviously being very proud of being my Mexican roots,
01:11 like I think it's always been there.
01:13 Two years ago when I lost my papi, my abuelito Miguel,
01:17 (speaking in foreign language)
01:18 he was kind of the catalyst as to why I decided
01:20 it was time to do the project,
01:22 'cause it was a dream of mine.
01:23 I definitely feel like it's a part of my soul
01:26 when I sing (speaking in foreign language)
01:28 - Talk to me more about the title, "Esquinas."
01:31 Where did you come up with the title?
01:32 - For me, I think I've always felt like I'm not
01:36 this side of the streets that raised me
01:37 or this side of the streets.
01:38 I am literally la esquina, like I'm at la esquina
01:41 where those cross streets are, of like I always say,
01:44 those two languages, those two flags, the two cultures.
01:47 It's a very intentional body of work
01:49 from all the visuals and all the song selections
01:52 and all of the collaborators.
01:54 Edgar Barreta is like family to me
01:56 and he really helped kind of create a sound
01:59 that I think represents me in this space.
02:01 And so it's been a lot of hard work,
02:05 but I feel like you can really hear me
02:07 and see me in this album.
02:09 Of course, like any traditional regional project,
02:13 you wanna have some covers on there.
02:15 I wanna say like personally selected the covers
02:18 that I did for the album because they really
02:20 either take me to a point in time in my life
02:23 that just remind me of my childhood
02:25 or like have such a deeper significance
02:27 even before I ever existed.
02:29 And one of those is Cruz Olvido.
02:31 And it's a song that my papi dedicated to my grandma
02:34 when he was crossing over from Mexico to the United States.
02:37 And Cruz Olvido is one of the first mariachi songs
02:40 that I ever learned.
02:41 And I have video actually of me singing it
02:43 to my papi at his birthday.
02:45 It's so crazy to cross reference, you know,
02:48 mis vocales in the cover that I recently recorded of it.
02:52 And then when I'm, you know, 12 years old,
02:55 singing it in like, you know,
02:57 the front of my papi's house in Englewood.
02:59 - You've pulled up some amazing guests on your album,
03:03 your upcoming album.
03:04 You got Peso Pluma, Gabito Ballestero, and others, you know.
03:08 So tell me about how you go about selecting
03:10 who to collaborate with.
03:12 - I think there's this wave of fresh and authentic artists
03:17 in the regional space.
03:18 And we're not necessarily erasing our traditions.
03:22 We're embracing tradition,
03:23 as well as giving it our own new school flair.
03:26 And so I was definitely, like,
03:28 I had my heart set on artists
03:29 who interpret regional music in their own way.
03:33 A lot of it happened organically.
03:34 Like when I worked with Peso,
03:36 (speaking in foreign language)
03:37 like we didn't really have intentions.
03:39 It was just to introduce to each other,
03:42 what are you working on?
03:43 This is some of the music I've been working on.
03:45 And, you know, somebody with Edgar whips out a guitar,
03:47 and next thing you know,
03:48 we wrote the song in like 45 minutes.
03:50 (speaking in foreign language)
03:51 It was, you know, instant chemistry between Peso and I.
03:54 And same with like, it was really sweet.
03:56 One of my favorite memories is working with Ivan Cornejo
03:59 on our song for the album.
04:00 He almost canceled the studio session.
04:03 'Cause he (speaking in foreign language)
04:04 and he's like, no, it's just, I feel really,
04:06 a little bit of pressure.
04:07 I wanna do a really good job.
04:08 You know, I'm gonna be going on my first tour,
04:10 and I just don't wanna let you down.
04:12 And I was like, bro, you could literally come
04:13 and we can eat in and out.
04:14 And just like, hang, like we don't have to write anything.
04:17 We don't have to do anything.
04:18 Like, let's just vibe.
04:19 And then one thing leads to another
04:20 and you start creating these beautiful friendships,
04:22 you know?
04:23 - You're a proud 200 percenter.
04:25 Can you share a little bit more about, you know,
04:28 being a 200 percenter?
04:29 - Totally, no, it's 'cause I remember there was,
04:32 there was a moment in my life,
04:34 and I feel like I can even remember the day
04:36 where I was like, man, you know, 50/50 doesn't cut it.
04:39 Why do I have to give up half of myself to be accepted here?
04:42 I'm 100 percent proud to be from Inglewood.
04:45 ♪ Living in the world ♪
04:48 But I'm also 100 percent proud to be Mexican
04:50 and to be Latina.
04:51 And so, hopefully the next generations can get more
04:54 and more inspired to understand that.
04:55 Nunca has tarde.
04:56 It's never too late to learn more about where we come from.
04:59 - Tu Casa Mi Casa Tour.
05:01 I love the name, first of all.
05:02 It's, yeah.
05:03 So, talk to me behind the concept.
05:05 What can fans and attendees expect?
05:08 - Yeah, so it's really cool that,
05:10 I would say on the Coachella stage,
05:11 was the debut of Casa Gomez.
05:13 And there was so much inspiration of the 200 percent for me.
05:17 I knew that I wanted to make a statement
05:19 representing two cultures, two flags, two languages.
05:21 And so, we had like, you know,
05:23 from the color scheme to the way that we played out
05:26 the set list, having the whole middle set of the show
05:29 be dedicated to Música Regional,
05:30 it was just like, this is the essence of the tour.
05:32 And so, we're bringing Casa Gomez to everybody
05:35 on Mi Casa Tu Casa.
05:37 And it's gonna be really, really awesome.
05:39 - MuchÃsimas gracias, Becky G.
05:40 - Hey, thank you.
05:41 (upbeat music)
05:44 (electronic music)