Grammy nominee Chiquis can't enough of true crime, cardio and this Becky G album

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31-01-2025

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.The cream of the music crop is going for Grammys gold this weekend, but Chiquis has already made it into the "herstory" books.
"Música Mexicana is at its best moment ever," says Chiquis of the competition at Sunday's 67th annual Grammy Awards. The Mexican American singer-songwriter's latest album, "Diamantes," is nominated for best Música Mexicana album (including Tejano).
Aside from eyeing her first Grammy win, Chiquis is going head-to-head with male superstars Peso Pluma, Carin León and Jessi Uribe as the sole female nominee. She found herself in the same position at November's Latin Grammy Awards, where she took home the award for best banda album.
"There's so much talent," Chiquis tells USA TODAY. "To be recognized in this already very difficult place to be ... and to be again the only woman, we're making herstory."
Chiquis comes from Latin pop royalty. How the regional Mexican star found her own crown
When Chiquis isn't performing or breaking down musical barriers, the singer keeps herself replenished with sweaty workouts, true crime television and soulful Mexican music. Here are some of her essentials.
For Chiquis, the harmony between body and mind is indispensable.
"I need to sweat at least four times a week," she says. "I feel like that is a game-changer for me. It's super essential for my mental health."
The singer's go-to workout regimen consists of a mix of weight training and cardio exercises. While Chiquis is the first to admit she's not a runner at heart, she knows "cardio is just really good for all of us" and likes to get aerobic with incline walking or in the Peloton saddle.
"If I get on the treadmill, I like to feel out of breath, so I like to do an incline," Chiquis says.
Chiquis' beverage of choice these days? A bottle of good ol' H20.
"In a world that drinks so much coffee and trust me, I drink a lot of coffee and tea, we need to stay hydrated," she says.
While the "Quiero Amanecer Con Alguien" singer has a collection of Stanley cups to keep her hydrated on the go, her favorite water bottle as of late is the HyrdroJug, known for its built-in straw and insulated interior.
"It's awesome," Chiquis says. "So, I'm that girl. I'm carrying the damn thing everywhere: the gym, the grocery store, in the car."
When she's not indulging in reality TV ("sMothered," "I Love a Mama's Boy") or rewatching her favorite "chick flicks" ("The Notebook," "Me Before You"), Chiquis loves to put on her thinking cap with true crime, including series such as "Forensic Files" and "Snapped."
"I started watching all that stuff because of my mom," she says. Chiquis' late mother, regional Mexican icon Jenni Rivera, died in a 2012 plane crash at the age of 43.
"She would fall asleep with it, and I started falling asleep with it as well," she says. "Now I've learned through therapy we have to be careful with what we watch right before we go to sleep, but I just love figuring things out.
"I feel like I'd be a very good detective. I watch so much of it that now I'm like, 'Oh, I know they're going to get caught because of this.' … I already figured it out before they did."
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Emotional pop soundscapes from Ariana Grande ("Eternal Sunshine") and Billie Eilish ("Hit Me Hard and Soft") have been filling Chiquis' playlist.
But she also has a spot for fellow Latin pop singer and "Cuidadito" collaborator Becky G, who recently released her fourth album "Encuentros." "I sent her a message. I was like, 'Dude, your album is so freakin' good, every song. I can listen to all of it,'" she says. "I'm so proud of her."
Chiquis' favorite from the regional Mexican LP? "I love 'Todo.' I can listen to that song 10 times, over and over. … She sounds amazing."
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Chiquis turns to the pages of Chuck Chapman's "Finding Your Way Without Losing Yourself: The Path of Integrity" as a guide for authenticity.
"There's always been something with the word 'integrity' that I feel is really important to me," she says. "I can portray on social media, and we can all be good people on social media, but it's really who you are behind closed doors when no one else is watching but God."
For Chiquis, the self-help book is "an amazing reminder of being a good person with good intentions and being yourself unapologetically."
"For so long, it was that people-pleasing thing of, 'I don't want to disappoint anyone.' You're looking for people's approval," Chiquis reflects. But "this is what's important to me and my integrity. I need to feel whole."
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grammys 2025 nominee Chiquis loves Becky G, cardio and true crime