Karol G facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karol G
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Karol G at the 2023 Latin Grammys
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Carolina Giraldo Navarro
February 14, 1991 |
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| Years active | 2006–present |
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| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Carolina Giraldo Navarro (born February 14, 1991), known as Karol G, is a famous singer and songwriter from Colombia. She is known as one of the most important artists in reggaeton and urban pop music. Karol G has won many big awards, including a Grammy, six Latin Grammy Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards.
She was also named Woman of the Year and received a Rulebreaker Award at Billboard Women in Music. She got the Spirit of Hope Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. Plus, she holds five Guinness World Records!
Karol G grew up in Medellín, Colombia. She started her music career as a teenager on the Colombian TV show The X Factor. In 2014, she moved to New York to learn more about the music business. She then signed with Universal Music Latino.
Her song "Ahora Me Llama" with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny became a huge hit. This song was the third single from her first album, Unstoppable, released in 2017. Later, in 2018, her song "Secreto" with Puerto Rican artist Anuel AA became very popular in Latin America.
In July 2019, she released "China" with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin. This song's music video was her first to get over one billion views on YouTube. In May 2019, she released her album Ocean. This album had a more relaxed sound than her first one, mixing pop with reggaeton. Popular songs from this album include the title track, "Ocean."
Later that year, her song "Tusa" became a worldwide hit. It was certified 28 times Latin platinum! In 2020, Karol G received four nominations at the Latin Grammy Awards. During the COVID-19 pandemic and into 2021, she released many successful songs. These included "Ay, Dios Mío!", "Bichota", and "Location". These songs led up to her third album, KG0516, which came out in spring 2021. It quickly reached the top of the U.S. Latin albums chart.
Karol G released her fourth album, Mañana Será Bonito, in spring 2023. This album made history as the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Her song "TQG", a collaboration with fellow Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, became her highest-charting single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 7. In early 2024, she won her first Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album.
Recently, Karol G has released two new songs: "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" and "+57". "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" quickly became the number one song on her Apple Music page.
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Carolina Giraldo Navarro was born on February 14, 1991, in Medellín. She is the youngest of three children. When she was 14, she appeared on the TV show El Factor X. Karol G also posted covers of songs by artists like Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill on YouTube. She hoped to be discovered, just like Justin Bieber.
Eventually, she signed her first record deal with Flamingo Records in Colombia and Diamond Music in Puerto Rico. She chose "Karol G" as her stage name. Soon after, she performed with J Balvin at a quinceañera party.
Musical Career Journey
Starting Out: 2007–2016
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In the years that followed, Karol G released songs now and then. These included "En la Playa" (On the Beach) in 2007 and "Por Ti" (For You) in 2008. She also released "Dime Que Sí" (Tell Me Yes) in 2009 and "Mil Maneras" (A Thousand Ways) in 2010. She studied music at the University of Antioquia. While studying, she sang backup for other artists, including Reykon. She recorded songs like "Tu Juguete" (Your Toy) in 2011 and "301" in 2012.
Soon after, she went to Miami to meet with Universal Records. However, they did not sign her at that time. They suggested that a woman might not be successful in the reggaeton music style.
After Universal Music said no, Karol and her father decided to promote her music by themselves. They toured all over Colombia, performing at colleges, clubs, and festivals. Karol said that this was a long process, but it helped her truly enjoy her success later. These tours helped her gain more fans. This led to her 2013 song "Amor de Dos" (The Love of Two) with Nicky Jam.
However, Karol felt her music career was not moving fast enough in South America. Feeling a bit discouraged, she moved to New York in 2014 to work and stay with her aunt. She later said that seeing ads for music business classes on the NYC Subway inspired her. Karol decided to enroll in music business administration classes. This decision helped her feel excited about music again and motivated her to keep going. Her 2014 dancehall song "Ricos Besos" (Sweet Kisses) became a hit in Colombia.
In 2016, she signed with Universal Music Latino. That year, she released songs like "Casi Nada" (Almost Nothing), "Hello" with Ozuna, and "Muñeco de Lego" (Lego Doll). These songs were released before her album came out.
Big Success and Unstoppable: 2017–2018
In January 2017, Karol G became a judge on the TV talent show Pequeños Gigantes USA (Little Giants). She gave advice to children aged 6–11 who performed on the show. In February, she released "A Ella" (To Her), a breakup song inspired by real events. In May, her song "Ahora Me Llama" (Now He Calls Me) with Puerto Rican trap artist Bad Bunny became her breakthrough hit. The music video for this song got over one billion views on YouTube. It also reached #10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.
Music experts said that with "Ahora Me Llama," Karol G became one of the most important artists in the growing global urban pop music scene. "Ahora Me Llama" was even listed as one of the best Latin songs of 2017.
"Ahora Me Llama" was the main song from her first studio album, Unstoppable. The album also included her earlier singles. It was released in October 2017 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. One music critic called Unstoppable "the first strong album by a woman in the Latin trap movement." In March 2018, the singer released the music video for her song "Pineapple". That same month, she was nominated for Top Female Artist of the Year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
On April 6, 2018, Karol G worked with Argentine singer Tini on the song "Princesa." This song was part of Tini's second album, Quiero Volver.
In May 2018, she released "Mi Cama" (My Bed), which became a big hit. After that came "Culpables" (Guilty Ones), featuring Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. "Culpables" reached #8 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. A remix of "Mi Cama" with J Balvin and Nicky Jam reached #6 on the same chart.
Ocean and KG0516: 2019–2021
In January 2019, Karol G released the song "Secreto" (Secret) with Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. The music video for the song showed that the two artists were in a romantic relationship. The song reached #68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the US Hot Latin Songs charts. The song was inspired by the time when Anuel AA and Karol G were dating but had not yet told the public. The video showed them as a "power couple," similar to how Beyoncé and Jay-Z or Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are seen.
Karol G released her album Ocean on May 3, 2019. She got the idea for the album from a peaceful time she spent at the beach in Tenerife, Spain. She also traveled to the beaches of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Saint Martin for more ideas. One music reviewer said that while some songs on Ocean were already out, the new songs were "impressively varied."
In July 2019, Karol G worked with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin on the song "China". The song uses parts of Shaggy's 2000 hit, "It Wasn't Me". "China" started at #2 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart in August 2019. It was also #1 on both the Latin Digital Songs and Latin Streaming Songs charts. "China" was included in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 10 Best Latin Music Videos of July. Karol G performed the song on American television on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2020. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in November 2019 and stayed there for 25 weeks.
Karol G released "Tusa" on November 7, 2019. This was the first song from her album KG0516. "Tusa," a reggaeton song featuring Nicki Minaj, became a huge commercial success. It was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
In April 2020, Karol G released the song and video for "Follow" with Anuel AA. They recorded the entire video while in quarantine in Miami during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also worked with the Jonas Brothers on the playful song "X". This song was first heard in the end credits of the group's movie Happiness Continues. Karol G and the Jonas Brothers filmed the music video for "X" using their iPhones. This was a clever way to make a music video during the pandemic. In October, "Bichota" was released as the main song for her album, and it became very popular online.
On March 17, 2021, Karol G announced her new album, its release date, and its cover art. The list of songs was announced on March 22, and KG0516 was released on March 26. Karol G released "Sejodioto" on September 21, 2021. This song also became a commercial success and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In October 2021, Karol G partnered with Smirnoff for their "Sabor for the People" campaign. Because of this, her Bichota Tour was presented by Smirnoff.
Mañana Será Bonito and Recent Hits: 2023–Present
On February 14, 2022, Karol G and Crocs announced a partnership and showed off two new shoe designs. In April 2022, "Provenza" was released as the first song from her album Mañana Será Bonito. This song became very popular online. The title refers to a neighborhood in Medellín called Provenza. In August 2022, Karol G released "Gatúbela" with Puerto Rican rapper Maldy from the group Plan B. The song has a classic reggaeton beat from the 2000s. The music video also takes ideas from older horror movies. In the video, Karol G's character is seen with her new red hair.
On February 19, 2023, Karol G was one of the main performers at the famous Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. She performed a live show for over 15,000 fans. On February 24, Karol G's album Mañana Será Bonito was released. It included the song "TQG" with Shakira. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200. This made it the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to debut at No. 1. The song "TQG" became her highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number seven. The album received seven nominations at the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. It won three awards, including Album of the Year and Best Urban Music Album. "TQG" won for Best Urban Fusion/Performance. This made Karol G the first woman to win the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album. At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, the album won an award for Best Música Urbana Album.
In June 2023, Karol G signed with Interscope Records. On June 2, 2023, Karol G released "Watati". This was a song for the Barbie the Album movie soundtrack. It featured Panamanian reggaeton artist Aldo Ranks. The music video was released on June 15, 2023. Karol G released a song called "S91" on July 13, 2023, with a music video. On August 11, 2023, Karol G released a companion album to Mañana Será Bonito, called Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season). It includes "S91" and a second song called "Mi Ex Tenía Razón". This album features collaborations with artists like Peso Pluma, Kali Uchis, and Tiësto.
In 2024, she became the first Latina to be named Woman of the Year at Billboard Women in Music.
Also in 2024, she appeared in the Netflix miniseries Griselda, which starred Sofía Vergara. In August 2024, Karol G was added to Fortnite Battle Royale as a character outfit. An extra outfit was included in the Fortnite Festival Season Pass. She also received instruments and had a special concert in the game for a limited time.
Musical Style and Influences
Karol G's music is mostly described as reggaeton and Latin trap. However, she has tried out many other music styles in her songs. Her album Ocean shows a wide range of different styles. She worked with Brazilian duo Simone & Simaria on the Spanish/Portuguese song "La Vida Continuó," which has influences from sertanejo music.
Karol G looks up to singers like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Selena Quintanilla, and Shakira. She wants to achieve the same global recognition they have. Working with Rihanna is a "dream" for her. Karol G even has a tattoo on her right forearm that shows portraits of Rihanna, Quintanilla, and her own face. Other artists who have influenced her include Daddy Yankee, Maluma, Rosalía, Gloria Trevi, Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Ivy Queen, Anahí, Thalía, Spice Girls, Jerry Rivera, Bee Gees, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Personal Life
Karol G has been in relationships with other musicians. As of early 2023, her relationship with Colombian musician Feid was confirmed. They attended the Billboard Women in Music 2024 event together.
On February 29, 2024, Karol G's plane had to make an emergency landing. She was flying from Hollywood Burbank Airport to El Salvador for her Mañana Será Bonito Tour. The pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, so the plane landed safely at Van Nuys Airport. All 16 people on board were evacuated without any injuries.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Unstoppable (2017)
- Ocean (2019)
- KG0516 (2021)
- Mañana Será Bonito (2023)
Tours
Headlining Tours
- Bichota Tour (2021–22)
- Strip Love Tour (2022)
- Mañana Será Bonito Tour (2023–24)
Promotional Tours
- Girl Power Tour (2017)
Co-headlining Tours
- Culpables Tour (with Anuel AA) (2019)
Opening Act
- Diosa de la Noche Tour (with Gloria Trevi) (2019)
Awards and Nominations
Karol G has won many awards and nominations. These include six Latin Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year), one Grammy Award, five Billboard Music Awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards, one MTV Video Music Award, one American Music Award, and ten Lo Nuestro Awards, among others.
Images for kids
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Karol G at the 2023 Latin Grammys
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Karol G in 2016
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Karol G in 2018
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Karol G in 2019
See also
In Spanish: Karol G para niños
