Karol G BIOGRAPHY: the queen of Latin reggaeton

Karol G is, right now, the most listened-to female artist in the urban genre and the first Latina to headline the Coachella festival. Carolina Giraldo Navarro was born in Medellín in 1991 and turned the nickname “La Bichota” into a worldwide symbol of female empowerment. From competing on a reality show at 15 to filling stadiums such as the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the San Siro in Milan, her story is one of the most impressive in contemporary reggaeton. This is her full biography.

Karol G quick facts

Who is Karol G?

Karol G (Carolina Giraldo Navarro) is a Colombian singer and songwriter born in Medellín on February 14, 1991, considered one of the most influential figures in reggaeton and urban pop worldwide. In 2026 she is 35 years old, she is the first Latin artist to headline Coachella and she has more than 40 million monthly listeners on streaming platforms.

Beginnings of her career

Carolina Giraldo Navarro was born in Medellín into a musical family: her father, Guillermo Giraldo, is a musician, and her mother is Marta Navarro. She is the youngest of three sisters, Jessica and Verónica. She studied at Calasanz school and later music at the Universidad de Antioquia and marketing in New York.

At 15 she competed on the reality show Factor X of Colombia. Although she did not win, her participation opened the industry's doors: she got her first contract with Flamingo Records and Diamond Music, and adopted her stage name, Karol G (the G from her surname Giraldo).

In 2010 she uploaded a cover of Lauryn Hill's “Killing Me Softly” to YouTube, inspired by the strategy Justin Bieber had used to get noticed, and started working as a backing singer for Reykon. The collaboration “301” (2012) with Reykon became her first big hit in Colombia and placed her on the national reggaeton scene.

Professional career and achievements

The international takeoff: “Tusa” and “Bichota” (2019-2020)

In 2017 she released her debut album, “Unstoppable”, under Universal Music Latin, with hits such as “Ahora Me Llama” and “A Ella”. In 2018 she won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist. The definitive leap came at the end of 2019 with “Tusa”, alongside Nicki Minaj, which became a global hit and put her on charts all over the world.

In 2020 she released “Bichota”, which entered the Billboard Hot 100 and reframed a Puerto Rican slang term (“a strong woman who commands respect”) as an anthem of female empowerment.

“KG0516” and the heartbreak era (2021-2022)

Her album “KG0516” (2021) included collaborations such as “El Makinón” and consolidated her position. In 2022 came “Mamiii” with Becky G and “Provenza”, which earned her the Latin Grammy for Best Urban Fusion/Performance. In 2023 she released “TQG” alongside Shakira, her highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 (number 7).

“Mañana Será Bonito” and the historic record (2023-2024)

On February 24, 2023 she released “Mañana Será Bonito”, an album that made history: it was the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200. The world tour that carried its name grossed 313.3 million dollars and sold 2.3 million tickets, the second highest-grossing Latin American tour by a woman in history.

Recognition from the academy came in February 2024, when she won the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album, and in March of that year she received the Woman of the Year award at Billboard Women in Music, the first Latina to achieve it. That year she also released the tropical hit “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”.

“Tropicoqueta” and the Coachella milestone (2025-2026)

In June 2025 she released “Tropicoqueta”, an album that fuses salsa, mariachi, vallenato, pop and reggaeton, with collaborations from Marco Antonio Solís and Greeicy Rendón. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and reached number 1 on Top Latin Albums.

In April 2026 she became the first Latin artist to headline Coachella's main stage in the festival's 27-year history, and from the stage she summed up the moment: “I am the first Latina to headline Coachella… it feels late”.

Awards and achievements

Standout works

• Unstoppable (2017): debut album with “Ahora Me Llama” and “A Ella”.
• Ocean (2019): included the international hit “Tusa” with Nicki Minaj.
• KG0516 (2021): with “El Makinón” and “Bichota”.
• Mañana Será Bonito (2023): number 1 album on the Billboard 200.
• Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) (2023): EP with “Mi ex tenía razón” and “Qlona”.
• Tropicoqueta (2025): a fusion of Latin rhythms with collaborations from Marco Antonio Solís and Greeicy Rendón.

Personal life: from Anuel AA to Feid

Karol G's love life has been followed as closely as her career. Between 2018 and 2021 she was in a relationship with Puerto Rican Anuel AA, one of the most publicized couples in reggaeton, which ended in 2021.

Afterwards, and after several months of rumours, she confirmed her relationship with fellow Colombian Feid, whom she had worked with on the collaboration “Friki” (2021). The couple became one of the best loved in the genre until, in early 2026, they announced their separation after three years together. In April 2026 Karol G opened up: “You have to make an effort to be able to walk away when you realize it is not going to work”. In January of that year, invited to Bad Bunny's concert in Medellín, she had already declared from the crowd: “I am single”.

Controversies

The “+57” controversy (2024). In November 2024, Karol G released “+57”, a collaboration with Feid, Maluma, J Balvin and Blessd, which drew strong criticism over a line that was read as a reference to minors. Faced with the controversy, the song was modified on digital platforms and the artist offered a public apology.

Rumours of a rivalry with Shakira. For years there was speculation about a supposed feud between the two biggest Colombian stars. The rumours were disproved by the collaboration “TQG” (2023), a global hit, and by Karol G's public support for Shakira at several key moments of her career.

Karol G trivia

• Her stage name comes from her real name: “Karol” + the G from Giraldo, her father's surname.
• “La Bichota” is a Puerto Rican slang term meaning “strong woman”; she adopted it as a brand and even named her own label after it, Bichota Records (2023).
• As a teenager she competed on the reality show Factor X; although she did not win, her participation got her her first record contract.
• In 2010 she uploaded a cover of Lauryn Hill's “Killing Me Softly” to YouTube, inspired by Justin Bieber's strategy.
• She is the youngest of three sisters and her father, Guillermo Giraldo, is a musician.
• In 2024 she turned down a role in “Aquaman 2” to prioritize her music career, as she revealed in interviews.
• She lives in Coral Gables, Florida, although she keeps properties in her native Medellín.
• It is the label she founded, Bichota Records, that has released her music since 2023, distributed by Interscope.

Karol G today (2026)

The year 2026 is the most important of her career. After the break-up with Feid and a rest she herself described as necessary, Karol G was a Coachella headliner in April and announced the “Viajando por el Mundo TropiTour” tour, which began on July 24, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago and travels through stadiums in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and Europe until July 2027, closing at the San Siro in Milan.

At Famosix we consider that Karol G not only broke streaming and box-office records, but also changed the conversation about the role of women in reggaeton: she turned a pejorative nickname into an anthem of empowerment, founded her own label and opened the biggest stage in the world to Latin artists.

Conclusion

The biography of Karol G is the story of a girl from Medellín who lost on a reality show but not her passion for music, and who three decades later became the most influential Latin artist on the planet. From the YouTube cover to number 1 on the Billboard 200, from the rumours to Coachella, her legacy is only just beginning.

Did you like this biography? Discover those of other phenomena of the urban genre such as Peso Pluma and Bad Bunny, or explore all our international biographies.

Sources consulted

• Infobae: Karol G makes history at Coachella 2026: this was her show as the first Latina to headline the festival
• Infobae: Karol G shared a curious message after the break-up with Feid was confirmed
• La República: Karol G and Feid cross paths at the 2026 Grammy gala after their break-up