“Sometimes what you envision for yourself as an artist isn't necessarily what is fitting right in that moment in the industry,” Becky G tells Apple Music about the road to ESQUINAS. “But in order to get a result you've never had, you’ve got to be willing to do something you've never done.” Some three years in the making, this self-described passion project marks the third and most personal full-length from the bilingual singer. A deliberate and meaningful departure from popwise predecessors MALA SANTA and ESQUEMAS, it offers more than a dozen originals and curated covers under the broad and thriving música mexicana genre umbrella. “The cover songs were chosen with so much intention,” she says of selections like “CRUZ DE OLVIDO” and “POR UN AMOR”, which were formative to her musical upbringing. Working closely with hitmaking songwriter and executive producer Edgar Barrera, she honours her standing as a 200 percenter (100% Mexican, 100% American) both solo and with vocal collaborators including Gabito Ballesteros, Peso Pluma and the iconic Chiquis. “This album was very healing for my inner child, and very healing for the me today that is still eager to learn and eager to keep dreaming, feeling proud of where I come from.” Read more about ESQUINAS below—in her own words. “2NDO CHANCE” (feat.. Ivan Cornejo) “You can ask Ivan about this—he almost cancelled the session. He texted me personally and he goes, ‘It's such a big opportunity that I don't know if I'm ready for it.’ I thought it was so amazing and so courageous of him to be so open and honest and super vulnerable about where his head was at. Regardless, beyond any transaction that can happen between us from a business standpoint, I was—and am—an Ivan Cornejo fan. We started playing each other music that we had been working on, and then we ordered In-N-Out and just stuffed our faces. I feel like in that moment he realised it doesn't have to be this transactional thing, we can actually just be homies. So ‘2NDO CHANCE’ was, to me, an example of the genuine admiration and love that we had for one another, overflowing into such a dope, beautiful song.” “CRIES IN SPANISH” (feat. DannyLux) “I met Danny backstage at Coachella and it was the sweetest interaction ever. Literally our families were just hanging out backstage and I was telling him how proud I am of him and just how dope it is that we're all out here doing it together, Chicanos representing. When I tell you I don't care how successful I’ve become, sharing music with my peers, it's such a vulnerable and such a bonding experience for me. When I share music, I get so excited and so nervous. I sent him this song and he right away had such a beautiful reaction to it and was like, 'If you don't mind, I'd love to add my guitars.' One thing led to another and I sent him an emoji of the telenovela girl, crying in Spanish.” “LOS ASTROS” “Los Panchos was something that my great-grandmother on my mom's side would always be playing at her house when I was a kid. There's just this nostalgia to 'Piel Canela' and all of their other iconic songs like 'Besame Mucho'. It's a sound that is so romantic, and I thought it'd be so cool to add a style of production that felt very nostalgic and familiar, but with a very new-school lyric. And Edgar does what Edgar does best, which is literally nail it right on the head every single time. I'm supposed to have favourites; every song is genuinely so special to me, but I think 'LOS ASTROS' sonically is such a gem on the album.” “POR UN AMOR” “This song is so special to me because it is one of the very first songs that I learned how to sing with mariachi. Obviously Vicente Fernández’s ‘Por un Amor’ is iconic. Linda Ronstadt also did it, and I love that because she was a 200 percenter in every way—sang in Spanish, spoke in English—which I found pretty fascinating and really cool. Jenni Rivera, who also inspired me so much, had a version. If you listen to everyone's, there's a different flavour to it, and that's why it was important to me to kind of bring my own little zhuzhing to it, which was the play on the electric guitar and it being Low Rider-inspired.” “POR EL CONTRARIO” (feat. Ángela Aguilar and Leonardo Aguilar) “They've been putting in their reps since they were kids. At the same time, they're still leaving so much room for their own personal development and evolution and style. I listened to Leonardo sing and he has such a beautiful voice. I mean, I was so excited to get him on this song, and obviously with Ángela as well. As women in music, for us to be able to come together and support one another and be on records together, especially in genres that are very male-dominated still to this day, is super important. We’re able to show that, the same way I did in reggaetón with KAROL [G] or with Natti [Natasha]. We’re so much more when we come together.” “CUIDADITO” (feat. Chiquis) “Janney [Chiquis Rivera] was dating my cousin Emilio—now they're engaged. I was totally Cupid in that situation. We were hanging out and I played her the song and she loved it. We didn't get to record it together, but we were sending each other voice notes back and forth. I told her I would love if we can have an iconic Jenni Rivera 'don't get it twisted, foo!' moment. That's why at the end of the song you hear her say it.”