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El Paso Honors Krystall Poppin With Proclamation Day
Community members and family gathered to celebrate Krystall Poppin’s accomplishments with her own proclamation day. The day will be officially celebrated on January 27. This special achievement was given to Poppin for her continuous support of the city. Poppin recently brought El Paso to international attention by performing her single “The Moment” at the 2026 UFC bout between Holly Holm and Stephanie Han. The song was inspired by Han, an El Paso native.
Krystall Poppin Day is really important to me because it represents my city having my back. It represents acknowledging and accepting that I’m from them and I’m one of them. It’s something that I can take outside of the city as something I can wear proudly and show everyone that we rock together here in El Paso,” she said.
On the podium, Poppin spoke about her personal journey and everything that led to this moment. “I have suffered incredible pain and loss. I have also been alone, I’ve been far from perfect, and I’ve made countless mistakes … I don’t know how people typically deal with their pain, but I found a way to let it all out on the pages of my journals. These are the times I rarely speak about but I feel it’s important on such a day as this … I had dreams of peace in my heart and to be loved and the only way I could find peace was to write everything I felt inside … I never thought of myself as a musician before, but I decided to try it. I recorded my first song and it was love at first sight. I felt a spark ignite within me that I never felt before. This spark grew into a burning passion and has been a vehicle of my passion ever since,” she said.
Poppin thanked those who encouraged her, supported her music in any way, or just checked in to see how she was doing. This support gives her hope for what the future can look like. “I’ve accepted the fact that you never have the good without the bad in this life and the world is full of broken people but never let the bad things people say hit your heart. Throw it in the furnace where your passion burns and use it as fuel to go further. Never forget the haters keep the engagement numbers up!” she said
Mayor Renard Johnson had a few additional words to say on Poppin’s impact. “The nation enjoyed watching you. Everyone in El Paso in that moment had a lot of pride watching you walk that ring and singing that song. We cannot thank you enough as a community for always representing the 915 and keeping us on a national and international stage. Thank you for always filming in El Paso and making your music videos here. You are seen; you are loved by this community. So, you keep it up. We are so proud of you,” he said.
“I just feel very proud of her accomplishments. I love her so much. She works so hard to get where she’s at. Thank God,” Poppin’s mother, Monica, said of her daughter’s success.
These days, Poppin continues her ongoing support of the community as she hosted her very own “Krystall Poppin for a Purpose Fest” on January 31. The event raised money for Our Lady of Assumption Church Gym and featured a beer garden, vendors, live music, and most importantly – an Abuelita Beauty Contest.
