Karol G Bio
Carolina Giraldo Navarro (born 14 February 1991), known professionally as Karol G, is a Colombian singer and songwriter whose work is rooted in reggaetón and urban pop. Considered one of the most influential voices in her genres, she has built a career that spans more than a decade and crosses continents, taking her from a teenage contestant on a Colombian television show to one of the most recognized Latin artists in the world.
Born and raised in Medellín, she moved to New York in 2014 to study the music business and later signed with Universal Music Latino. Karol G gained international attention with hits such as “Ahora Me Llama” and “Tusa” and has released albums including Unstoppable (2017), Ocean (2019), KG0516 (2021), and Mañana Será Bonito (2023). Her honors include a Grammy Award, eight Latin Grammy Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and eleven Guinness World Records.
Early Life and Background
Carolina Giraldo Navarro was born on 14 February 1991 in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, the youngest of three children. Growing up in a country with a vibrant musical tradition, she was exposed early to both Latin pop and international sounds that would later shape her own artistic direction. She has often pointed to global artists such as Rihanna, Shakira, and Selena Quintanilla as guiding influences during her formative years.
At the age of 14, Karol G appeared on El Factor X, the Colombian edition of The X Factor, marking her first public performance on a major stage. She went on to post cover videos of songs by Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill on YouTube, hoping to be discovered in the way other young artists had been. Those early steps led to her first record contract with Flamingo Records in Colombia and Diamond Music in Puerto Rico, and to the choice of “Karol G” as her professional name.
Path to Music
In her first year as a recording artist, she was invited to open for Puerto Rican star Don Omar during his concerts in Cartagena, and she soon performed alongside J Balvin at a quinceañera in Medellín. Between 2007 and 2012, she released a series of singles, including “En la Playa,” “Por Ti,” “Dime Que Sí,” and “Mil Maneras,” while studying music at the University of Antioquia. During that period she also worked as a backup singer, recording songs such as “Tu Juguete” with Reykon in 2011 and “301” in 2012.
After a meeting with Universal Records in Miami ended without a contract, with executives suggesting a woman would not succeed in reggaetón, Karol G and her father promoted her career independently, touring colleges, clubs, and festivals across Colombia. In 2013, she collaborated with Nicky Jam on “Amor de Dos,” and in 2014 her dancehall single “Ricos Besos” became a hit in Colombia. Discouraged by slow progress in South America, she moved to New York in 2014 to live with her aunt and enrolled in music business administration classes, a decision that reignited her commitment to a full-time career.
Karol G Career
Early Career (2012–2016)
Karol G’s recorded career began in 2012, the year she has cited as the start of her professional journey, even as she continued releasing independent singles. After several years of independent touring and writing in Colombia, she signed with Universal Music Latino in 2016. That same year she released “Casi Nada,” “Hello” with Ozuna, and “Muñeco de Lego,” all of which built anticipation for her first full-length project.
These early years were marked by perseverance rather than immediate stardom. She later recalled that the long road of independent touring taught her discipline and gave her a deeper appreciation of every step forward. The groundwork laid in this period helped prepare her for the commercial breakthrough that would arrive the following year.
Breakthrough (2017–2018)
In January 2017, Karol G joined Pequeños Gigantes USA as a judge, and in May her collaboration with Bad Bunny, “Ahora Me Llama,” became her breakthrough hit. The video crossed one billion views on YouTube and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, with NPR describing it as a “bass-heavy, unapologetic trap anthem.” Rolling Stone named her one of the standout acts of the global pop urbano wave thanks to that single.
“Ahora Me Llama” served as the lead single for her debut studio album, Unstoppable, which was released in October 2017 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. AllMusic called the record “the first solid entry by a woman in the Latin trap movement.” In 2018, she released “Mi Cama,” a major commercial success whose remix with J Balvin and Nicky Jam peaked at No. 6 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, along with “Culpables,” a duet with Anuel AA.
Breakthrough (2019–2021)
In January 2019, Karol G released “Secreto” with Anuel AA, a song that confirmed their relationship and reached No. 5 on the US Hot Latin Songs chart. Her second album, Ocean, arrived in May 2019 and served as a stylistic shift toward a more relaxed, reggaetón-driven sound. That July, the all-star collaboration “China” with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin became her first music video to surpass one billion views on YouTube.
Her 2019 single “Tusa” with Nicki Minaj became a global hit, reaching No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and earning nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards. After releasing successful singles such as “Bichota” and “Location” during the pandemic, she returned with her third album, KG0516, in March 2021, which topped the US Latin Albums chart and produced the Bichota Tour presented by Smirnoff.
Breakthrough (2022–2025)
In 2022, Karol G released “Provenza,” a tribute to a Medellín neighborhood and a No. 1 hit that earned nominations at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards. On 24 February 2023, she released her fourth album, Mañana Será Bonito, alongside “TQG” with Shakira. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to top the chart, while “TQG” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the album won three awards, including Album of the Year, and at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards it won Best Música Urbana Album, making her the first woman to win that category.
She signed with Interscope Records in 2023 and released the companion mixtape Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) that August, and in 2024 she became the first Latina named Woman of the Year at Billboard Women in Music. Her 2024 single “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” reached No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and set a record with 27 weeks atop the Latin Airplay chart. On 20 June 2025, she released her fifth album, Tropicoqueta, featuring collaborations with artists including Feid and Greeicy. In September 2025 she performed at the halftime show of the National Football League’s Brazil game, and in October 2025 she became the first Colombian artist to perform and walk the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2025.
Notable Works and Milestones
Across her discography, signature works include Unstoppable (2017), Ocean (2019), KG0516 (2021), and Mañana Será Bonito (2023), with standout singles such as “Ahora Me Llama,” “Tusa,” “China,” “Bichota,” “TQG,” and “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” Her milestones include the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, a Grammy Award, eight Latin Grammy Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and eleven Guinness World Records.
Karol G Award Nominations
Karol G has received nominations across major international ceremonies throughout her career. Her nominations include categories at the Grammy Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Lo Nuestro Awards. Specific nominations include Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards for “Tusa,” multiple categories at the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, and a nomination at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Música Urbana Album, which she ultimately won.
Karol G Awards Won
Karol G has accumulated an extensive list of awards since her debut, spanning reggaetón, Latin urban, and pop categories. She has been honored with one Grammy Award, eight Latin Grammy Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards, one MTV Video Music Award, one American Music Award, and ten Lo Nuestro Awards, along with eleven Guinness World Records. She has also been recognized with the Woman of the Year and Rulebreaker Award at Billboard Women in Music, and the Spirit of Hope Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Karol G Family
Karol G was born into a Colombian family in Medellín and is the youngest of three children. Her father played an active role in her early career, partnering with her to promote her music independently across Colombia when major labels initially declined to sign her. The bond with her family and her hometown remains a recurring theme in her interviews and in songs such as “Provenza,” which references a beloved neighborhood in Medellín.
Personal Life
Karol G met Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA in August 2018 on the set of the music video for “Culpables.” The couple publicly confirmed their relationship in early 2019, and she announced their engagement in April 2019 at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. In April 2021, Anuel AA confirmed that the relationship and engagement had ended.
As of early 2023, Karol G’s relationship with Colombian musician Feid became public after they attended the Billboard Women in Music 2024 event together, and they have since been seen together at major public appearances. In February 2024, she was among sixteen passengers safely evacuated from her Gulfstream IV after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit during a flight bound for El Salvador.