On ‘Baraja Bendita,’ Becky G Embraces Every Version of Herself

For nearly two decades, Becky G has learned to exist in more than one world at once. Signed to a record deal at 14, she practically grew up in the public eye, navigating the expectations placed on a Mexican-American girl from Inglewood, California while making music in an industry that often tries to fit Latina stars into one neat box.

The pop star has long described her identity as 200%—100% American and 100% Mexican—and over her career, she has leaned into different sides of herself: Becky G the pop star and reggaetonera, Becky G the música Mexicana singer (after releasing her fourth album, Esquinas), and Rebecca the daughter. But on her latest album, Baraja Bendita—her fifth studio album, released Friday, August 14—she’s no longer choosing between identities. The title, which loosely translates to “blessed deck of cards,” reflects the era she’s in now: throwing the whole deck on the table and embracing every version of herself.

The 17-track album moves between genres and languages—reggaetón, bachata, merengue, R&B, reggae, and pop—with most songs in Spanish and some in Spanglish. It’s what happens when an artist stops asking for permission to decide which version of themself to embody. Here, she isn’t wondering what audiences prefer; she’s simply leaning into all of it.

I’d argue the album isn’t as cohesive as some of her previous work—particularly Esquinas, my favorite—but it still gets the point across. At times, an album that spans so many genres can feel more like a playlist than a unified project, and that’s true here. Still, Becky G is showing she isn’t limited to, or defined by, one style or genre. The throughline in her music has never been genre—it’s been her, her journey, and her evolution. This album tells that story.

At 29, Becky G is no longer an artist still trying to figure out who she is. Though she’s relatively young, she’s spent 15 years in the music industry being told who she needs to be to find success. Now, she’s deciding that the only person who gets to define who she is—and how she shows up in the world—is herself. In many ways, this album is about agency above all else.

Baraja Bendita highlights the confidence it takes to spend almost your entire life in an industry that tries to control your image and define you—and still refuse to ask for permission to evolve. The album presents Becky as an artist who has realized that the key to her career has been staying true to who she is, including every version of herself that has shaped her.

The album’s opening track sets the mood almost immediately. “5’5” is a Spanglish club banger that embodies Baraja Bendita’s philosophy: she didn’t want to choose between English and Spanish when she lives in a world that holds both. Spanglish becomes a way to bring her worlds together in one song. She does the same with genre: “Chula” leans R&B, “Te Va a Doler” is bachata, “Mal Tiempo” is merengue, and “Bandera Blanca” is a sexy reggae track. Across the album, the songs move through vulnerability and playfulness, sensuality and empowerment—while “EPA,” released earlier this summer, addresses ICE raids under the Trump administration.

Becky G hasn’t just been vocal about her politics; she’s also worked with organizations such as the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the Immigrant Defenders Law Center. “EPA” is probably the album’s strongest track. We’re used to seeing Becky channel empowerment through beauty and sexuality, but here she uses her platform to also uplift a community under political attack.

Becky G has spent most of her career being categorized, and on this album, she finally breaks free. She isn’t necessarily reinventing herself; she’s rejecting the idea that she ever needed to be defined by any one thing. Baraja Bendita feels full circle—an artist coming into their own. She isn’t arriving at a new identity so much as reclaiming the comfort of owning every version of herself she’s had to negotiate throughout her career.