A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Multiplatinum singer, songwriter and actress Becky G is ready to deal with her faith.
BECKY G: You know that quote? You can't necessarily control the cards you were dealt, but you can control how you show up and how you play them.
MARTÍNEZ: Her fifth studio album is out now. It's called "Baraja Bendita" - or "Blessed Deck Of Cards." I recently spoke with the 29-year-old artist about her two decades in the entertainment business and what she's looking to do with her latest release.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "5'5")
BECKY G: (Rapping) I walked in. I was 5'5 with a 10. He was 6'2" with a very pretty friend. He put a lime in my hand.
MARTÍNEZ: You always seem to have something new with every album, like exploring different themes, kind of displaying personal growth and artistic growth. So what was the intention behind this album?
BECKY G: Yeah. So for me, "Baraja Bendita," doble B, is actually - my name is - my birth name is Rebbeca spelt with two B's.
MARTÍNEZ: Two B's.
BECKY G: And a nickname - people really close to me call me B. And I feel like both B's get to show up in this.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "5'5")
BECKY G: (Rapping in Spanish).
I have always felt very connected to both sides of me, if you will. But that 200%. And this theme that I always talk about, being Chicana, Mexican American, speaking two languages, representing two flags. Constantly being at the cross-streets of two things always, and actually being the corner, not being one or the other, you know? Like, "Baraja Bendita" is the cross-streets between Becky G and Rebbeca. This is my personal greatest collaboration yet, where Rebbeca and Becky G got to really work closely together. I feel like Rebbeca finally gets to show up in this process and can tell Becky G, like, I got you, girl.
MARTÍNEZ: In this album, you do some rapping. And you started as a rapper.
BECKY G: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: So why so long in between rapping on albums?
BECKY G: Yeah. You know, it's something that - it was always there. It was a tool in my tool kit that I didn't necessarily get to use as often.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GLITCH")
BECKY G: (Rapping) Morra bien chola, worldwide and stateside. Charter my transit, hoops with my hair tied. Chef brought me wagyu, limon con rib-eye.
But in this album, kind of reaching this place of being unapologetically myself, it is accurate to say that there are certain individuals that weren't necessarily a fan of my rapping or didn't think it was necessary or a sound that we need to explore. But my urban roots are, like, a part of me.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
BECKY G: It is how I got signed. It is how I got discovered. It is one of my first loves.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EPA")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Honey, let me tell you something. You don't dare stand there with your arms folded. Don't act too cute and sweet.
MARTÍNEZ: So, Becky, I want to dive into the song "Epa." And I want to ask you about the music video for this song because we see you in the famous El Mercadito. And the beat has everyone dancing with joy. So, like, there's a part in the video where you're smashing, like, a big chunk of ice. And on Instagram, where you have over 35 million followers, you posted a caption on this video saying, sorry, not sorry, este Mercadito is all out of ice.
BECKY G: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: Tell us about why that was important for you, to speak on this issue, especially with immigration being such a topic that is all over our national politics.
BECKY G: Yeah. So when we were in the studio, I started off first with just the chords and the music. And I remember something in the sound, it kind of felt urgent. It felt like these alarms almost. And I was just like, man, like, how privileged and lucky am I to be in a studio? And I can safely express myself and experience this safety of self-expression. Like, not every...
MARTÍNEZ: And safely go to work.
BECKY G: Safely go to work.
MARTÍNEZ: Basically.
BECKY G: Exactly.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
BECKY G: But just the safety of this space, it felt like such a privilege. And I feel like a lot of the advice that I give to, like, the youth out there is, like, you know, have patience. And have - but then I was realizing, no, the advice right now is that we need to keep creating. That's also part of our resistance.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EPA")
BECKY G: (Singing) Don't hold it in, just let it loose. Tonight, we love with no excuse. Gone are the days where you had one life - tonight's the night that we all get two. Living the now, living the truth. Under the sky, hands to the roof. Come on, baby, come on.
And when it came to the music video, I felt like that visual was going to be so important to capture. By the end of it, when the ice breaks, there's this really beautiful, almost, like, euphoric joy that comes through. And everybody's dancing together. And that video, it makes me emotional.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, earlier this year at Coachella, you were onstage with Karol G, first Latina to headline...
BECKY G: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: ...At Coachella. And when you were onstage with her, you said, que viva Mexico, que viva Colombia. She's from Colombia.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BECKY G: Y a todos nuestros inmigrantes. Queremos mucho.
MARTÍNEZ: Y a todos nuestros inmigrantes.
BECKY G: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: Why did you feel compelled to say that there at Coachella?
BECKY G: So I, a few years ago, was honored to receive the key to the city of Coachella, and learning that there is a misunderstanding for a lot of people who come to Coachella the festival, not realizing that Coachella is a real place year-round...
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter) Yes, it is. Yeah.
BECKY G: ...With, you know, a real community of people. You know, I think all of Coachella Valley deserves to feel represented on that stage because they are the people who work the festival and who are there 365 days a year, whether there's a festival or not.
MARTÍNEZ: And then she also said to the crowd, don't feel fear, feel pride.
BECKY G: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: Especially poignant considering that there's people that speak Spanish who might be afraid of going because of what might happen. I mean, it's a heavy thing to hold onto, especially if you just want to go listen to music...
BECKY G: Exactly.
MARTÍNEZ: ...And you have to deal with the fear of whether something might happen.
BECKY G: And going back to songs like "Epa," when I was talking about the importance of Latino joy and that being part of our resistance. To be able to create those safe spaces in our music, to create those safe spaces in the experiences that they have when they listen to our music, whether it's in the comfort of their own home or if it's at a concert, for them to feel seen and represented and recognized, I think is just so important. It's the least we can do as artists.
MARTÍNEZ: That is Becky G. Her album is "Baraja Bendita." Becky, thank you very much for checking in with us.
BECKY G: No, thank you so much. Appreciate your time.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHULA")
BECKY G: (Singing) Linda, preciosa, bella, hermosa, mi bonita, mamasota, otro nivel, una diosa. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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