The Karol G Phenomenon: Why Is She So Relevant?

Carolina Giraldo, better known as Karol G, is, according to Spotify, the most listened to Latina in the world in 2021. The phenomenon Karol G fills stadiums and makes millions of people sing and dance. What is its success?

First of all, it is impossible to deny her singing talent. Although reggaeton, trap, and urban genres have been criticized for the poor vocal register of some artists, the same cannot be said of Karol G. This 30-year-old colombian has a history of more than 15 years in the music.

As a child, she participated in the XS Factor program, in which she came out with her first contract. Later, she was a backup singer for Reykon in 2010, one of the most relevant reggaeton singers at the time. In addition, she studied music at the University of Antioquia and has a trained voice, which can especially be appreciated when she sings acapella or in songs like "Ocean", "Contigo voy a la muerte" or "200 copas".

In addition, this last song shows that she is a versatile artist who is measured to sing various genres such as rancheras, vallenatos, ballads, and pop. It has even brought themes of spite to urban genres. This also explains why their successes are so sticky and can enter other markets, in addition to the Colombian and Latin.

In addition, she has become an icon of female empowerment in a gender that has been constantly singled out as macho. Her songs have turned the reggaeton lyrics around and on several occasions, she has assured that she wants to give the message of an empowered and authentic woman, who cannot be intimidated and is capable of achieving everything. In addition, of women who act in sororities and support each other.

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This message has permeated audiences and the term "bichota" has become a reference to talk about strong, brave, powerful, and capable women. In fact, after its participation in the 2021 Billboards, this term skyrocketed in searches, according to Google Trends. "With my music, the only thing I have tried this time is to invite people to express themselves freely, without taboos, without fear … Be it talking about love, heartbreak or having a good time," she said in an interview with the magazine Harper's Bazaar

This woman has great charisma and, at the same time, humility, which she shows in interviews, social networks, and concerts. With this, she manages to win the hearts of people with ease. Also, it doesn't just fill stadiums. In her recent and successful concert in Medellín, her hometown, the hotel occupancy was 95% in accordance with the Colombian Hotel and Tourism Association COTELCO.

As if that were not enough, especially after the pandemic, it has been committed to social causes. On the one hand, on several occasions, she has stated that she wants to represent the Latino community, especially women, and give it a voice in the world. On the other hand, it has supported the causes of social transformation. For example, she was a volunteer and a donor for the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, which seeks to train low-income children in music. She was also in prison in Medellín, participating in an activity of the Fundación Acción Interna.

The truth is that the success of the "babe from Medellín" is reflected in the wave of awards she has won in recent years. In 2020 the song “Tusa” was chosen as the favorite song at the American Music Awards; She is in the top of the 10 most listened to women worldwide on Spotify in 2021, she received the recognition as 'Best Latin Artist of the Year' in the Billboard 2021 and her album KG0516 was number 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums , and she was the artist Most awarded at the 2021 Premios Juventud with 6 awards, of the 12 for which she was nominated. In the same way, she has made collaborations with great artists such as Nicki Minaj, Camilo, Maluma, J Balvin, Anuel AA (her ex-boyfriend), Bad Bunny and Tiesto.