Carolina Giraldo Navarro popularly known as Karol G is a multiple award-winning reggaeton singer from Colombia who has raised the bar and world attention to Latin reggaeton music in recent years.
Born and raised in Medellín, Giraldo started her career in her teens by appearing on the Colombian version of The X Factor. She relocated to New York in 2014 to further her knowledge of the music industry and subsequently signed with Universal Music Latino.
To advance her career, she performed as a backup singer and toured extensively, playing at smaller venues and festivals. This journey led her to meet fellow musicians who would later become collaborators, such as Ovy on the Drums, who went on to produce much of her music.
Her career saw a significant boost in May 2017 with the release of “Ahora Me Llama,” a collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny. This track was the third single from her debut album ‘Unstoppable’ and soon became a major hit, amassing over one billion views on YouTube and reaching no. 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. In late 2018, her song ‘Secreto,’ a duet with Puerto Rican artist Anuel AA, gained popularity throughout Latin America, as the music video publicly confirmed their relationship.
Early Success
In July 2019, she released “China,” a collaborative track featuring Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin, which became her first music video to surpass one billion views on YouTube. Earlier in May 2019, she released the album “Ocean,” which marked a stylistic shift from “Unstoppable”, embracing a more relaxed and less pop-centric sound while incorporating reggaetón elements.
“Ahora Me Llama” was highlighted as one of the top Latin tracks of 2017, being featured on Alt. Latino’s Favorites: The Songs of 2017.
The song “Ahora Me Llama” also served as the lead single for her debut album “Unstoppable”, which included a remix featuring Quavo from Migos. The album, released in October 2017, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and featured the three aforementioned singles.
Her sophomore album, ‘Ocean’, launched in 2019 and also premiered at No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart.
Discussing sexual themes is typical for male reggaeton artists but less so for their female counterparts. Yet, Karol boldly embraced her sexuality in popular tracks like “Mi Cama” (“My Bed,” 2018) and “Punto G” (2019).
Karol hit new heights with “Tusa” (2019), a collaboration with Nicki Minaj. This song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, the first female-led song to do so since 2016, and amassed over 1 billion views on YouTube.
3rd Album a hit
As the COVID-19 pandemic halted the world in 2020, Karol dedicated her time to her third album, choosing to scrap a nearly finished project to produce new music that better captured her current sentiments.
“KG0516”, which dropped in 2021, was Karol’s inaugural co-produced album. It soared to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and secured the No. 20 spot on the Billboard 200. The album featured collaborations with various artists, from Ozuna to Ludacris.
Karol scored another hit with “Bichota” (2020), explaining that the title represents an “empowered, strong woman.
World tour
As the pioneering Latina to undertake a global stadium tour, Karol G has shattered records with her Mañana Será Bonito World Tour. This tour, currently in its European phase, derives its name from Karol’s groundbreaking album, which, in February 2023, became the first Spanish-language album by a female Latin artist to top the Billboard 200.
Having already delivered successful stadium performances in the U.S. and Latin America over the past year, and with an impressive streak in Europe, Karol G is living a beautiful dream. The Colombian superstar kicked off the European segment of her expansive “Mañana Será Bonito Tour” on June 8, which has now become the most successful tour by a Latin artist in Europe, with every show in all 10 cities selling well. Fans in Portugal can still get hold of Karol G Lisbon tickets ahead of her performance at the Altice Arena next month.
Among her numerous achievements, Karol G is the first Latin artist to perform twice at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, and she holds the record as the top-selling Latin female artist at Meo Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. Perhaps most notably, she is the first artist to sell out four consecutive nights at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid and the first female artist to hold four back-to-back stadium concerts in Spain.
Beyond the charts and magazine covers, Karol G’s talents truly shine on stage. Her electrifying performances captivate audiences, bringing her music to life with an undeniably infectious energy. Her previous arena tour, the “$trip Love Tour,” made history as the highest-grossing U.S. tour by a Latin woman, earning $69.9 million from 33 shows across North America. On August 10, the eve of her fifth album’s release, she launched her first Stadiums Tour in the United States at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas honoured Karol G by illuminating the world-famous Las Vegas Strip Boulevard Gateway Arched lights in rainbow colours for her visit and tour kickoff, making her the first Latin artist and only the second artist ever, following Taylor Swift, to receive this tribute.
Since embarking on her Mañana Será Bonito World Tour in August 2023, Karol G has consistently appeared on Pollstar’s charts with record-setting grosses at renowned venues such as the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where she earned $25.44 million over two nights, and Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, with $18.47 million across three shows. She still has upcoming performances in, Assago, Antwerp, Berlin, and Lisbon before concluding with four shows in Madrid from July 20-23.
The Grammy Award-winning artist not only dazzles with her musical performances but also warms the hearts of fans with her affectionate relationship with her longtime love, Feid.
Karol G and Feid are often seen together, collaborating on songs and even touring as a duo. Recently, the 33-year-old Karol and the 31-year-old Feid have seemingly confirmed their long-rumoured romance by being spotted holding hands and photographed together.
Karol G, and Feid, whose real name is Salomón Villada Hoyos, shared a touching moment backstage at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music event on March 6.
Karol posted a photo on her Instagram the next day, subtly including a picture of herself and Feid holding hands. In the final photo of her slideshow, they are seen smiling and walking hand in hand backstage.
Away from her love life, she also has a massive fanbase and social media presence and it is no surprise to see her sellout shows with thousands of fans tussling to get tickets to watch their favourite Latino.
Boasting 65.6 million Instagram followers, Karol G ranked 62nd for follower count in 2023 but impressively 11th for average engagement rates, as per a Launchmetrics study of the top 100 global celebrity and influencer accounts. She had an outstanding year on the Billboard Hot 100 with 28 songs across various genres, making her the female artist with the most Spanish-language songs on the chart in 2023. Her fourth studio album, “Mañana Será Bonito,” made history as the first all-Spanish album by a woman to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, Karol set another record in 2023 for the most entries by a female artist on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. That same year, she clinched an MTV Video Music Award for her collaboration with Shakira on “TQG” and graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
The reggaeton artist became a well-known figure throughout much of Latin America before gaining popularity among audiences in North America and Europe. She has emerged as a legendary artistic icon in her native Colombia while amassing an ever-growing global fanbase.
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