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 from Colombia. She is one of the most important artists in reggaeton and urban pop music. Karol G has won many awards, including a Grammy, six Latin Grammy Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards. She was also named Woman of the Year by Billboard Women in Music. She holds eleven Guinness World Records.
Karol G grew up in Medellín, Colombia. She started her music journey 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 later signed with Universal Music Latino. In late 2018, her song "Secreto" became very popular in Latin America. She sang it with Puerto Rican artist Anuel AA.
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 previous work. Later that year, her song "Tusa" became a huge international hit. In 2020, Karol G received four nominations for the Latin Grammy Awards. During 2020 and early 2021, she released other successful songs like "Ay, Dios Mío!", "Bichota", and "Location". These songs led up to her third album, KG0516, which came out in spring 2021. It quickly topped 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", with fellow Colombian singer 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.
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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 got her first record deal and chose "Karol G" as her stage name. In her first year, she was invited to open for Don Omar's concerts. She also performed with J Balvin at a party.
Musical Career Journey
Starting Out: 2007–2016
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In the years that followed, Karol G released songs like "En la Playa" (2007) and "Por Ti" (2008). She studied music at the University of Antioquia. While studying, she sang backup for other artists, including Reykon. She recorded songs with him like "Tu Juguete" (2011). Later, she went to Miami to meet with Universal Records. However, they did not sign her at that time. They thought a woman might not be successful in the reggaetón style.
After Universal Music's decision, Karol G and her father decided to promote her music on their own. They toured all over Colombia, performing at colleges, clubs, and festivals. She said this long process helped her truly enjoy her success later. These tours helped her gain more attention. This led to her 2013 song "Amor de Dos" with Nicky Jam.
Feeling her music career was not moving fast enough in South America, Karol G moved to New York in 2014. She worked and stayed with her aunt. She felt a bit lost about her lack of success. One day, while riding the NYC Subway, she saw ads for music business courses. She decided to enroll in music business administration classes. This decision helped her feel excited about music again. Her 2014 song "Ricos Besos" became a hit in Colombia. In 2016, she finally signed with Universal Music Latino. That year, she released singles like "Casi Nada" and "Hello" with Ozuna. In November 2024, Karol G released "+57," a song with other Colombian artists like Feid and J Balvin. The song's title refers to Colombia's international dialing code. It became a big hit on the Latin Airplay chart.
Big Success: 2017–2018
In January 2017, Karol G became a judge on the TV show Pequeños Gigantes USA. She gave advice to young performers. In February, she released "A Ella," a breakup song based on her own experiences. In May, her song "Ahora Me Llama" with Bad Bunny became her breakthrough hit. The music video has over one billion views on YouTube. The song reached #10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. This song helped Karol G become a standout artist in the global pop urbano music scene.
"Ahora Me Llama" was the main song from her first album, Unstoppable. The album was released in October 2017. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. In March 2018, she 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.
In April 2018, Karol G worked with Argentine singer Tini on the song "Princesa." In May 2018, she released "Mi Cama" (My Bed), which was very successful. This was followed by "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.
Albums: Ocean and KG0516 (2019–2021)
In January 2019, Karol G released "Secreto" with Anuel AA. The music video for the song showed that they were in a relationship. The song reached #68 on the Billboard Hot 100. Karol G released her album Ocean on May 3, 2019. She found inspiration for this album from peaceful moments at the beach.
In July 2019, Karol G worked with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin on the song "China". This song used parts of Shaggy's 2000 hit, "It Wasn't Me". "China" debuted at #2 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart. It became #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in November 2019. Karol G performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2020. Karol G released "Tusa" on November 7, 2019. This was the first song from her album KG0516. "Tusa," featuring Nicki Minaj, was a huge 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 "Follow" with Anuel AA. They recorded the song and video while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also worked with the Jonas Brothers on the song "X". They filmed the music video using their iPhones. In October, "Bichota" was released and became very popular online.
On March 17, 2021, Karol G announced her album KG0516. It was released on March 26, 2021. In September 2021, Karol G released "Sejodioto". In October 2021, she partnered with Smirnoff for their "Sabor for the People" campaign. Her Bichota Tour was presented by Smirnoff.
New Music: Mañana Será Bonito (2023–Present)
On February 14, 2022, Karol G and Crocs announced a partnership. In April 2022, "Provenza" was released. This song was the first from her album Mañana Será Bonito. "Provenza" was very successful and was nominated for awards. The title refers to a neighborhood in Medellín. In August 2022, Karol G released "Gatúbela" with rapper Maldy. The song has an old-school reggaetón sound. Its music video was very bold and showed off Karol G's new red hair.
On February 19, 2023, Karol G was a main performer at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. She performed for over 15,000 fans. On February 24, her 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. "TQG" became her highest-charting song 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. This made Karol G the first woman to win the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album. In 2024, the album won a Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album.
In June 2023, Karol G signed with Interscope Records. On June 2, 2023, she released "Watati". This song was for the Barbie the Album movie soundtrack. The music video came out on June 15, 2023. Karol G released "S91" on July 13, 2023, with a music video. On August 11, 2023, Karol G released a companion mixtape called Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season). It included "S91" and "Mi Ex Tenía Razón". This mixtape featured collaborations with artists like Peso Pluma and Kali Uchis.
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, starring Sofía Vergara. In August 2024, Karol G was added to Fortnite Battle Royale as a character outfit. She also had an in-game concert called Mañana Será Bonito.
Musical Style and Influences
Karol G's music is mostly reggaeton and Latin urban. She also uses some Latin trap influences. However, she likes to try different music styles. Her album Ocean shows many different styles. She worked with Brazilian duo Simone & Simaria on "La Vida Continuó," which has influences from sertanejo. Karol G looks up to singers like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Selena Quintanilla, and Shakira. She hopes to achieve the same global recognition as them. She even has a tattoo of Rihanna and Quintanilla on her arm. Other artists who have influenced her include Daddy Yankee, Maluma, Gloria Trevi, and the Backstreet Boys.
Personal Life
Karol G met Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA in August 2018. They met while filming the music video for their song "Culpables". In January 2019, they announced their relationship. On April 25, 2019, Karol G showed her engagement ring at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. On April 20, 2021, Anuel AA shared that he and Karol G had ended their relationship. Since early 2023, Karol G has been in a relationship with Colombian musician Feid.
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. All 16 people on board, including Karol G, were safely evacuated.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Unstoppable (2017)
- Ocean (2019)
- KG0516 (2021)
- Mañana Será Bonito (2023)
- Tropicoqueta (2025)
Filmography
- Koati (2021)
- Griselda (2024)
- Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful (2025)
Tours
Headlining Tours
- Bichota Tour (2021–2022)
- Strip Love Tour (2022)
- Mañana Será Bonito Tour (2023–2024)
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. These include six Latin Grammy Awards (like 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.
See also
In Spanish: Karol G para niños
