Becky G’s Emotional Billboard Impact Award Speech Hits Latinos Right in the Feels

Becky G just accepted her major Impact Award at this year’s Billboard Women in Music Awards, and let’s just say her speech just made us emotional until further notice.

It’s safe to say there wasn’t one dry eye in the room as the singer cited her family, “comunidad,” and hometown of Inglewood as major inspirations along her journey. The best part of all? This year’s event was actually held in Inglewood, just around “three minutes” from the hospital where she was born. Adding to the celestial clockwork? The Billboard event was on the night just before her birthday. As Becky G put it, the entire experience was “a complete circle” for her.

Everything to know about Becky G’s heartwarming acceptance speech

We absolutely adored her speech, which dove into how the award was “just as impactful” on the star as she has been for her all her fans over the years. The singer described “already crying” backstage, saying that accepting the award in Inglewood just before her birthday was “a crazy sign from God” she is “exactly” where she is supposed to be. We couldn’t agree more— las estrellas no se equivocan.

She spoke warmly about her hometown, explaining how she loves seeing her “abuelitos’ houses from the little windows on the plane” everytime she comes back to LAX airport. She described how at that moment, she is reminded how, “Where we come from will always be in our hearts, but where we go, that is up to us.”

Becky G told a Billboard interviewer before the ceremony how “crazy” it was accepting the iconic award in her hometown. She said, “It’s crazy, we’re in Inglewood where I was born and raised, down the street, literally born at Daniel Freeman hospital, which is a hospital that doesn’t exist anymore.”

Even more emotional? Her grandfather on her dad’s side, who she called “Papi,” was “laid to rest at Inglewood Cemetery, across the street” from the hospital. Both the cemetery and hospital were just three minutes away from the awards ceremony’s location.

Talking about her grandpa, the singer and actress said she is “very proud” he had a “first row seat” at the show. She explained, “Papi is with us for sure.”

The star also brought up her 2013 song “Becky From The Block”

Just before her 26th birthday, the star also used her speech to talk about her very beginnings. That’s right, if you’re an OG Becky G fan, you might just remember her iconic 2013 track “Becky From The Block”— and ode to J.Lo’s 2002 hit. In her speech, Becky G referenced the song as proof she has always carried Inglewood in her heart.

She said, “15-year-old me once made a cover of a song, called ‘Becky from the Block’, [where I] I made an oath, a vow, to my community, to my family, to my younger self that… I would take where I’m from wherever I go.”

And she wasn’t kidding— our hearts are bursting looking back the video for “Becky From The Block” and its lyrics. She sings, “First grade, Oak street elementary, A few blocks from the Inglewood cemetery. I lived through hard times, according to my memory.”

In the song, she brings up details of how she grew up, describing, “What you know about that In-N-Out life? And what you know about that 4×5 drive?,” continuing: “If you can’t catch me roaming in my barrio, I’m with my litas praying the Rosario.”

We can’t get enough, and this is exactly the throwback we didn’t know we needed today. Also watch for the incredible J.Lo cameo at the end:

Becky G also thanked her “comunidad” and her roots

The “MAMIII” singer also referenced her Mexican-American heritage as a driving force in her career. She described herself as “a 200 percenter, a Chicana, a proud Mexican-American, as someone who prides herself in loving in two languages,” and had a few words of advice.

She said: “I want to say this to other 200 percenters: it may be a lonely road to pursue things we were never taught, some of our own might even make us feel bad for wanting more, and our own minds might even tell us that we have no place of belonging because we’ve been told que no somos ni de aqui ni de alla, but I know firsthand que si vale la pena.”

The singer told her fans to always “push through it” with courage (whatever it is!), because it’s always worth it.

In the separate Billboard interview, Becky G also described feeling more first-generation than second-generation. Why? Largely because her grandparents took a big part in raising her, with her parents being high school sweethearts that had kids at a “very young” age. So, as a very proud Mexican-American, the star closed her speech by thanking her comunidad first and foremost.

“Muchísimas gracias a mi comunidad, thank you for all that you inspire in me, and all the love that you give me, I do this for you guys.”