Carolina Giraldo Navarro, born on February 14, 1991, is professionally known as Karol G. She is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Karol G is considered one of the most important reggaeton and urban pop artists. She has won many awards, including a Grammy, eight Latin Grammy Awards (such as Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist), and five Billboard Music Awards. She was honored as Woman of the Year and received a Rulebreaker Award at Billboard Women in Music. She also received the Spirit of Hope Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards and holds eleven Guinness World Records.

Karol G was born and raised in Medellín, Colombia. She began her career as a teenager by appearing on the Colombian version of The X Factor. In 2014, she moved to New York to learn more about the music industry and signed with Universal Music Latino. In late 2018, her song "Secreto," a duet with Puerto Rican artist Anuel AA, became a hit in Latin America. The music video for the song showed the two artists publicly confirming their relationship.

In July 2019, Karol G released the song "China" with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin. The music video for "China" received over one billion views on YouTube. In May 2019, she released the album Ocean, which had a different sound compared to her earlier album Unstoppable. This album included more relaxed and reggaeton-inspired music. Popular songs from Ocean include the title track, which was later remixed with Jessie Reyez. Later that year, her song "Tusa" became popular worldwide and was certified 28× Latin platinum by the RIAA. In 2020, Karol G received four nominations at the Latin Grammy Awards. During the COVID-19 pandemic and into 2021, she released successful songs, including "Ay, Dios Mío!," "Bichota," and "Location." These songs were released before her third album, KG0516, which came out in spring 2021 and reached the top of the US Latin albums chart.

In spring 2023, Karol G released her fourth album, Mañana Será Bonito. This album became the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200. Her song "TQG," a collaboration with Colombian singer Shakira, reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, her highest-charting single. In early 2024, Karol G won her first Grammy Award at the 66th annual ceremony for the newly created Música Urbana Album category.

Early life

Carolina Giraldo Navarro was born on February 14, 1991, in Medellín. She is the youngest of three siblings. At the age of 14, she participated in a talent show called El Factor X. She shared songs by Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill on YouTube, hoping to be discovered like Justin Bieber. She later signed her first music contract with Flamingo Records (Colombia) and Diamond Music (Puerto Rico). She chose "Karol G" as her stage name. In her first year, she was asked to perform before Don Omar's concerts in Cartagena. Soon after, she took part in a quinceañera celebration and performed with J Balvin.

Musical career

In the years after 2007, Giraldo released songs sometimes, including "En la Playa" (On the Beach) in 2007, "Por Ti" (For You) in 2008, "Dime Que Sí" (Tell Me Yes) in 2009, and "Mil Maneras" (A Thousand Ways) in 2010. She studied music at the University of Antioquia and sang backup for other artists during her studies, including Reykon. She recorded songs "Tu Juguete" (Your Toy) in 2011 and "301" in 2012. Soon after, she traveled to Miami to meet with Universal Records, which did not sign her, suggesting that a woman might not be successful in the reggaetón genre.

After Universal Music rejected her, Giraldo and her father decided to promote her career on their own. They toured across Colombia at colleges, clubs, and festivals. She said, "I always said that if we'd made money per mile, we'd be millionaires. It was a long process… and because of it, I can truly enjoy what's happening now." The tours helped increase her publicity, leading to her 2013 collaboration with Nicky Jam on the song "Amor de Dos" (The Love of Two).

Feeling her music career was not growing quickly enough in South America, Giraldo moved to New York in 2014 to work and live with her aunt. She felt lost over her lack of success and noticed advertisements for music business courses on the NYC Subway. She decided to take music business classes, which helped her rekindle her passion for music. Her 2014 song "Ricos Besos" (Sweet Kisses) became popular in Colombia. In 2016, she signed with Universal Music Latino. That year, she released singles "Casi Nada" (Almost Nothing), "Hello" with Ozuna, and "Muñeco de Lego" (Lego Doll) as lead-ups to her album. In November 2024, she released the single "+57," a collaboration with Feid, J Balvin, Maluma, Ryan Castro, Blessd, and producer Ovy on the Drums. The title refers to Colombia's international dialing code. The track reached number one on Billboard's Latin Airplay chart and number four on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

In January 2017, Karol G joined the reality show Pequeños Gigantes USA (Little Giants) as a judge, giving advice to children aged 6–11. In February, she released the break-up song "A Ella" (To Her), inspired by real events. In May, her song "Ahora Me Llama" (Now He Calls Me) with Bad Bunny became a breakthrough hit. The video earned over one billion views on YouTube and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. The song was described by Marty Preciado of NPR as a "bass-heavy, unapologetic trap anthem to the power of femininity" that challenges traditional masculinity. Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo of Rolling Stone said this song helped Giraldo join the global pop urbano movement and become one of its standout artists. "Ahora Me Llama" was listed as one of the best Latin songs of 2017 by Alt. Latino.

"Ahora Me Llama" was the main single for her debut album Unstoppable, which also included the singles "Casi Nada," "Hello," and "Muñeco de Lego." The album was released in October 2017 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Thom Jurek of AllMusic called Unstoppable "the first solid entry by a woman in the Latin trap movement." In March 2018, she released the music video for "Pineapple," inspired by jungle themes. That same month, she was nominated for the Billboard Latin Music Awards' Top Female Artist of the Year.

On April 6, 2018, Karol G collaborated with Argentine singer Tini on the song "Princesa" from Tini's album Quiero Volver. In May 2018, she released "Mi Cama" (My Bed), which became a commercial success. This was followed by "Culpables" (Guilty Ones), featuring Anuel AA. "Culpables" reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. A remix of "Mi Cama" with J Balvin and Nicky Jam peaked at No. 6 on the same chart.

In January 2019, Karol G released the single "Secreto" (Secret) with Anuel AA. The music video confirmed their romantic relationship. The song reached No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the US Hot Latin Songs charts. The video's "power couple" style was compared to Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as well as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. She released the album Ocean on May 3, 2019. Inspired by time spent at the beach in Tenerife, Spain, and other islands, the album was reviewed by Elias Leight of Rolling Stone, who noted that some songs were already released but praised the variety of the remaining tracks.

In July 2019, Karol G collaborated with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin on the song "China," based on Shaggy's 2000 hit "It Wasn't Me." "China" debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart and topped the Latin Digital Songs and Latin Streaming Songs charts. It was listed on Rolling Stone's "10 Best Latin Music Videos of July." Karol G released "Tusa," the first single from her album KG0516, on November 7, 2019. Featuring Nicki Minaj, "Tusa" became a commercial success and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards. She premiered the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 10, 2020. "Tusa" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and stayed on the chart for 25 weeks.

In April 2020, Karol G released the single and video for "Follow" with Anuel AA, recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami. She also collaborated with the Jonas Brothers on the song "X," filmed on iPhones due to pandemic restrictions. In October, "Bichota" was released as the lead single from her album, becoming viral online.

On March 17, 2021, Karol G announced the release of her album KG0516, including its cover art and release date in a short video. The tracklist was revealed on March 22, and the album was released on March 26. She released "Sejodioto" on September 21, 2021. In October 2021, she

Artistry

Karol G's music is mostly reggaeton and Latin urban, with some Latin trap influences. She has tried many other musical styles in her work. Her album Ocean shows a lot of different musical styles. She worked with the Brazilian group Simone & Simaria on the Spanish/Portuguese song "La Vida Continuó," which includes influences from the sertanejo genre. Karol G mentions that the worldwide popularity of singers Rihanna, Beyoncé, Selena Quintanilla, and Shakira has greatly influenced her music and the global recognition she hopes to achieve. She considers working with Rihanna a "dream" collaboration. Karol G has a tattoo on her right forearm that includes drawings of Rihanna and Quintanilla, as well as her own face. Other influences in her music include Daddy Yankee, Maluma, Gloria Trevi, Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Ivy Queen, Anahí, Thalía, Spice Girls, Jerry Rivera, Bee Gees, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Public image

Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo of Rolling Stone describes Karol G's clothing style as "feminine and sexy, yet sporty and tomboyish — but never [cutesy]." Gary Suarez of Vice states that in her music videos, "she shows a confidence about being sexy that highlights her strong, powerful image, rather than focusing only on looks, which is common in some music videos." Karol G has many fans who identify as LGBTQ. She expressed respect for her gay fans by saying, "I admire people who can go into the world and be brave. That is something I respect very much in that community. They have a strong, positive energy." She refused to record the song "Sin Pijama" with Becky G, which later became a hit with Natti Natasha, because the song included a lyric about smoking marijuana. Karol G, who does not use marijuana, said the song did not reflect her personal life. For her album Ocean, Karol G changed her appearance from the polished look of the Unstoppable album cover. She explained, "I chose to take a picture without makeup, looking very natural. That is how I want people to see my music now."

In 2020, Karol G's tweet about her dog's "perfect" color, which mentioned how white and black look beautiful together, caused controversy. She later admitted she acted "in an ignorant way" during a time when the Black Lives Matter movement was widely discussed in America. Karol G also said in an interview with The Guardian that she "lost a lot of opportunities" because of this situation.

Personal life

In August 2018, Karol G met Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA on the set of the music video for their song "Culpables," one month after Anuel AA left prison. In January 2019, the two announced they were in a relationship. On April 25, 2019, Karol G shared news of her engagement to Anuel AA during the Billboard Latin Music Awards by wearing a diamond ring. On April 20, 2021, Anuel AA said their relationship and engagement had ended. By early 2023, Karol G was seen with Colombian musician Feid after they attended the Billboard Women in Music 2024 event together.

On February 29, 2024, Karol G’s Gulfstream IV plane, traveling from Hollywood Burbank Airport to El Salvador International Airport for her Mañana Será Bonito Tour, made an emergency landing at Van Nuys Airport due to smoke reported in the cockpit by the pilot. All 16 passengers on the plane, including Karol G, were safely evacuated with no injuries.

Discography

• Unstoppable (2017)
• Ocean (2019)
• KG0516 (2021)
• Mañana Será Bonito (2023)
• Tropicoqueta (2025)

Tours

• Bichota Tour (2021–22)
• Strip Love Tour (2022)
• Mañana Será Bonito Tour (2023–24)

• Girl Power Tour (2017)

• Culpables Tour (with Anuel AA) (2019)

• Diosa de la Noche Tour (with Gloria Trevi) (2019)

Awards and nominations

Karol G has received many awards and nominations. These include eight Latin Grammy Awards, one of which was for 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. She has also been nominated for many other awards.