The Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest special is steadily approaching, and one star, Karol G, is ready to take the stage! The 30-year-old stylish and sexy musician is described as a reggaeton and Latin trap artist, already getting all-star collaborations and awards under her belt. Here’s five things to know about the musician and pop star who’s making waves in the reggaeton scene.
She’s from Colombia
Karol G was born Carolina Giraldo Navarro on February 14, 1991 in Medellin, Colombia, the middle of three children. She’s primarily described as a reggaeton and Latin trap artist. Karol is often accommodated by her father, Guillermo Giraldo, at award shows and ceremonies, and it seems her music journey has inspired him as well, as he’s trying his hand at being a singer called Papá G.
She competed on ‘The X Factor’
At just age 14, Karol G appeared on the Colombian version of The X Factor. During an interview on the BUILD Series show, Karol explained how her father took her to the show and how, although she didn’t win the competition overall, she passed “to the final part.” Karol clearly didn’t suffer too much from the “loss” since she ended up going on to win a record contract with Flamingo Records (Colombia) and Diamond Music (Puerto Rico) and choosing her stage name to be “Karol G.”
She’s collaborated with numerous high-profile rappers
Following her record contract, Karol G went on to study music and released a few songs, even performing with the artist J. Balvin. In 2014, she moved to New York and began studying music business administration to work on perfecting her image and learn more about her industry. She then released collaborations with significant rappers in the industry like Pop Smoke and Puerto Rican trap artist Bad Bunny. Her collab with Bad Bunny, “Ahora Mi Llama,” which came out in May 2017, was regarded as her breakthrough hit.
The South American beauty released her debut album Unstoppable on October 27, 2017 and it premiered at number two on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.
She was once engaged to Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA
As her career continued to grow, Karol became more acquainted with those in her industry, meeting Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA in August 2018 on the set of the music video for their song “Culpables” one month after his release from prison. In January 2019, the couple confirmed their relationship and in April of that year, Karol showed up to the Billboard Latin Music Awards wearing a diamond wedding ring, confirming their engagement.
Although the pair is no longer together, they reunited on stage in Puerto Rico in November this year at the end of her Bitchota tour for the first time since they ended their engagement. “100,000 thoughts passed through my head about what was, what we lived together and how things transpired,” Karol wrote in an Instagram post of the two of them together backstage. “We had a lot of happy years together and although that stage in our lives is over, the loyalty and gratitude remain.”
She continued, “You are a brilliant person. I will always admire you,” she added. “Thank you for making last night more special @anuel.”
Her star is rising
Karol has already garnered a great level of success, but her star continues to be on the rise. After the release of her studio album, she went on to be nominated for and win numerous awards, including the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2018. Her songs “Mi Cama” “Creeme” and “Calypso (Remix)” all went number one and she also released two more studio albums, Ocean and KG0516.
During the pandemic, Karol released the song “Follow” (a collaboration with her ex) and also worked closely with the Jonas Brothers on their song “X.” In addition to going on multiple headlining tours, the reggaeton artist is joining numerous A-list stars like LL Cool J and Billy Porter for Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest to ring in the 2022 new year.