Colombian singer Karol G has been an unstoppable force in Latin music. In February, she became the first female artist to reach #1 on Billboard Top 200 with a Spanish-language album with her fourth studio album Mañana Será Bonito. Karol G’s musical formula is easy to gravitate to, she is not afraid to experiment and mix genres of reggaetón, trap, regional Mexican, Brazilian sertanejo and pop. In April she announced her tour in support of the album, her Pasadena, CA stop at the Rose Bowl (capacity of 92,542 seats) was one of the first to sell out. A second stop date was added and also sold out very quickly, cementing her as one of the biggest acts in music.
When I arrived to watch her performance on Aug. 18 at the Rose Bowl, everywhere I looked fans were dressed up in Y2K-inspired outfits and a sea of the color pink - an homage to Karol G’s current hair color. The show began with an animated film story narrated by one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood, Morgan Freeman. The short clips would help divide the concert into different segments. Using the same cartoon characters found on the cover of Mañana Será Bonito, the story followed a mermaid named Carolina (Karol’s real name) who journeyed to rediscover her most bichota self after suffering from a frozen heart and losing her light. The word "Bichota" comes from the Puerto Rican slang "bichote," a drug dealer or someone in charge of criminal operations. Karol G gave the word a new meaning of empowerment and self-confidence.
An inflated mermaid set the stage, as the Colombian superstar appeared sporting a diamond bodysuit, oversized shades and fuzzy white boots performing her biggest hit-to-date “TQG.” Karol G is all about girl power, she was joined by a full female band and a big (mostly women) dance squad. The entire show was filled with elaborate dances that helped fill out the enormous stage and runway. Karol G is a natural onstage with her fiercely strong raspy vocals. With the biggest smile on her face, she addressed the crowd in Spanish the entire night -- often making cheeky remarks, reading the signs her fans held and hyping the crowd up. She’s also a skilled dancer, keeping up effortlessly with her dancers to the reggaeton beats and sensual choreography.
During each segment of her show, Karol G would disappear from the stage and re-appear with new stage sets and costumes. One of the most memorable moments was when she appeared riding on an enormous white cloud to perform the emotionally tearful ballad "Ocean."
Long setlists seem to be the new norm, as Karol G performed a total of 36 songs including fan favorites “AMARGURA” and “Tusa.” It’s been an eventful month for the songstress as she released a new mixtape Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) on Aug. 11. It’s a companion piece to Mañana Será Bonito, which includes remixes, brand-new songs and features artists Peso Pluma, Kali Uchis, Tiësto and more. The mixtape was the main celebration of the night as she performed a lot of tracks from the album including OKI DOKI, “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” and “QLONA.” She also invited show opener Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko to the stage for a first-time performance of their duet “DISPO.”
Karol G kept fans on their feet with the song selection. She had a segment dedicated to her Mexican discography which earned the biggest cheers from the crowd. Backed by an accordion, guitar and tuba player, Karol G borrowed a cowboy hat from the crowd to get the mood going as she began with “GUCCI LOS PAÑOS.” As the crowd screamed with anticipation for more regional Mexican, she gave a toast and took a shot of tequila with the crowd before singing “200 Copas.”
The last segment of the night was filled with all the high-energy hype songs. Fireworks erupted as Karol G ended the night with the bombastic hits “Provenza” and “MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO REMIX.” As Morgan Freeman told us during the show “La bitchota was a force to be reckoned with.”
For more on Karol G, visit karolgmusic.com
Set List:
- TQG
- Besties
- Mi Cama
- EL BARCO
- X SI VOLVEMOS
- Tusa
- AMARGURA
- BICHOTAG
- OKIDOKI
- UNA NOCHE EN MEDELLÍN REMIX
- QLONA
- Sejodioto
- Punto G
- BICHOTA
- EL MAKINON
- DISPO (with Young Miko)
- CAROLINA
- GATÚBELA
- TA OK REMIX
- Ocean
- PERO TÚ
- MERCURIO
- A Ella
- Creéme
- MIENTRAS ME CURO DEL CORA
- OJOS FERRARI
- TUS GAFITAS
- CAIRO
- GUCCI LOS PAÑOS
- 200 COPAS
- MI EX TENÍA RAZÓN
- MAMIII (Becky G x KAROL G cover)
- AMARGURA
- PROVENZA
- PROVENZA - REMIX Tiësto
- MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO REMIX
