Becky G's Arizona State Fair appearance was 'Buen Dia' for fans treated to a passionate show

Becky G treated a huge crowd at the Arizona State Fair to a spirited journey through her catalog on Saturday as the singer’s first headlining tour, the Mi Casa, Tu Casa Tour, hit Phoenix in support of her third Spanish-language album, “Esquinas.”

The set showed off the range of styles that made her such a triumph at Coachella back in April.

Midway through, the star announced that she had just been notified that “we are the No. 1 highest tickets sold for the Arizona State Fair,” celebrating the occasion by toasting the crowd with a shot of tequila.

Becky G opened her set with the Bad Bunny collab 'Mayores'

Taking the stage with a noticeably harder-hitting version of her 2017 Bad Bunny collab “Mayores,” the singer and her bandmates effortlessly shifted gears from reggaeton to the merengue-flavored “Fulanito” and the soulful emotion of “Cuando Te Bese” before diving deep into música Mexicana.

Early on, Becky G told the crowd, “You know, I wake up every morning so thankful to God that I get to live my dream and be on this stage and do what I love most and it’s truly, also, thanks to you guys."

Then, she added, “I don’t know, man. Today’s been a good day. What can I say?” as a lead-in to “Buen Dia.”

She spent much of the performance dancing with a smile across a stage dominated by a two-story pink, orange and purple casa, flanked by four dancers.

Becky G fleshed out her stellar band with Conexión Divina

For most of the set, she was backed by a tight four-piece band. Lead guitarist Justus West took the spotlight on several solos that seemed to find a middle ground between Carlos Santana, Prince and Eddie Hazel of Parliament-Funkadelic fame.

At one point, she welcomed Conexión Divina (“One of my favorite groups," she said.) to flesh out their sound with acoustic guitar, acoustic bass and horns to brilliant effect on songs that definitely benefited from their presence, including “Ya Acabo,” “Chanel” and “La Nena."

Set included tributes to her abuelo and Tejano star Selena

She dedicated a tearful rendition of “Querido Abuelo” from her latest album to her late grandfather as home movies of young Becky G and her grandpa played out on the screen behind her.

The singer also honored another early inspiration, Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla, with a fast-paced medley of her classics from “Como la Flor” to “La Carcacha,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “Balia Esta Cumbia.”

The 26-year-old Chicana from Inglewood, California, was in total command of the stage throughout the show with a radiant smile, nonstop dancing and supple vocals paired with frequent breaks from the action to share what she was feeling with her fans in heartfelt monologues that felt like actual conversations.

There was a vulnerability to those moments that could only serve to strengthen her connection to the fans.

Highlights ranged from 'Cries in Spanish' to 'Dolores' and 'Shower'

She even brought a fan onstage to join her on “Dolores,” a moment made all the more charming by how deeply moved the fan appeared to be by the experience, covering her face at first but beaming by the end as she clutched the flowers Becky G had given her.

Other highlights ranged from a suitably tearful “Cries in Spanish” and “2ndo Chance,” a song she said “reminds me of the AM radio my grandma used to play,” to “Mala Santa” and “Sin Pijama,” all before bringing the set to a crowd-pleasing finish with “Shower.”

The singer held off until nearly the end of her set to do her breakthrough hip-hop hit, the rewritten Jennifer Lopez cover, “Becky on the Block,” but she referenced it much earlier, taking great pride in calling attention to one particular lyrical passage.

"It all started when my grandpa crossed over," she rapped. "Now one day, I'm-a be a crossover/ Right now, it's just 'Who is that girl?' But one day, I'm-a be all around the world."

It could be argued that that day is now. And it’s a good one.

Peso Pluma's sold-out Phoenix concert: An electrifying show from a superstar in the making

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Becky G Arizona State Fair concert felt like a conversation with fans