After a decade in the industry, Becky G is getting ready to embark on her first headlining tour through the U.S. This milestone comes on the heels of the Mexican-American pop star bringing her genre-spanning hits to global stages, like Coachella, this past spring. As Becky G’s career continues to blow up, she remains committed to using her platform for good. Most recently, she has teamed up with Cheetos’ Deja Tu Huella campaign to give back to Hispanic students in need.
“Deja Tu Huella, which means to leave your mark on something, has everything to do with legacy,” Becky G tells LATINA. “The mission of Deja Tu Huella is very spot-on for what we need in our community to inspire others.”
In 2013, Becky G burst onto the scene with “Becky from the Block,” her version of Jennifer Lopez’s hit “Jenny from the Block.” The music video was shot in her hometown of Inglewood, California, featuring her family members and a cameo from JLo herself. Presumably with JLo’s blessing, Becky G has since blossomed into a music superstar with hits in English and Spanish, and high-profile collaborations with acts like Bad Bunny, Karol G, and, most recently, Peso Pluma. She has become a beacon for Latinos, for Mexican-Americans caught between two cultures, and for women.
“That oath I made in ‘Becky from the Block’ stays the same: No matter what I accomplish in life, I’ll never forget where I came from,” she says. “I’ll never forget who I am deep down inside. I look back at that and it makes me so proud. I take where I’m from with me wherever I go.”
Becky G isn’t just a force in music, she’s also expanded her empire into movies, TV, and her beauty brand, Tresluce. She has never allowed herself to be boxed-in to one thing. She has dabbled in pop, with the feel-good “Shower,” and then jumped in the male-dominated reggaeton scene, with sexy songs like “Mayores” and “Sin Pijama.” The latter tracks have become anthems for people in the LGBTQ+ community, who can relate to her fierce tenacity of making it in whatever space she wants to be in.
“There’s something so beautiful about just being yourself, and knowing that when you are being yourself, you can help others,” says Becky G. “It’s always been about what feels good to me, and when I’m able to do that, I love how it transcends to others who want to be their true authentic self.”
Becky G is now also making her mark in the regional Mexican music scene. Corridos star Peso Pluma joined her on the Coachella mainstage to perform their hit duet “Chanel.” And she has recorded music with other Gen-Z acts in the genre like Ivan Cornejo, Yahritza y Su Esencia, and Conexión Divina. She is currently working on her next album, where she will continue to embrace her Mexican roots, and offered a preview of the project with her latest single “La Nena,” featuring Gabito Ballesteros.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my abuelitos, so [the album is] a love letter to them for sure,” she says. “It’s a sound that I think is new for a lot of people who have been a part of my audience. They know that I’m Chicana. They know that I’m proud to be Mexican-American, a 200 percenter, but it sounds very different than anything I’ve ever done. We’re just vibing. That’s the fun part for me.”
Becky G plans to sing all of her hits live during her Mi Casa, Tu Casa Tour. The tour kicks off on September 14 at the Roadrunner in Boston. She will be performing in concerts across the U.S. through mid-October.
“It’s been 10 years of genre jumping and language changes,” she says. “I think the tour will be like how I like my tacos, with a little bit of everything. It will be intimate. It’s supposed to feel like how I want people to feel when they’re in my house: welcome.”
Courtesy of Frito Lay
Now Becky G is the face of Cheetos’ Deja Tu Huella campaign, which will award 500 Hispanic students with college scholarships, in partnership with the Pepsi-Co Foundation. Cheetos will visit community colleges to give out scholarships to students with hopes of moving onto schools that are classified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
“PepsiCo funding these scholarships with Cheetos is a huge opportunity to uplift the community in whatever way they need it,” she says. “I really believe that there’s a lot of youth in our community that are hard-working, that are so smart, and that are so deserving of these opportunities.”
Becky G’s fans can also win meet-and-greets and tickets to her upcoming tour by posting videos on TikTok with the hashtags #DejaTuHuella and #Entry. For more information on the campaign, check out the Cheetos website.
As for how Becky G wants to leave her mark, she says, “If there’s anything that I can hope people say about me, it’s that I made them feel seen, or I made them feel heard. That [I made them feel] important…because I think we all are.”
Lucas Villa is a freelance music contributor for LATINA. His work is also featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, Teen Vogue, MTV News and W Magazine.
