I could speak Spanish fluently growing up, but I’m so out of practice, and I have such a tremendous respect for songwriting in the Spanish language.

Pimentel contrasts early bilingual fluency with later linguistic attrition, using his own experience to explain artistic hesitation rather than simple inability. The second clause shifts from personal limitation to reverence: he frames Spanish-language songwriting as a craft with its own idioms, rhythmic demands, and cultural expectations that deserve mastery. Implicitly, the quote speaks to authenticity and responsibility in cross-language creation—suggesting that writing in a language is not merely translating words, but inhabiting a tradition. It also reflects a common diasporic tension: heritage language competence may fade, yet respect and identification remain strong.