It takes hard work to be a bichota, but it also takes a lot of heart.
Colombian pop star Karol G, aka La Bichota (“the big boss” in Spanish), has become a dominating force in Latin music since her 2017 debut. Armed with an arsenal of reggaeton grooves and relatable lyrics, the singer born Carolina Giraldo Navarro conquered the charts and endeared herself to legions of fans with her sonic confessionals of love and self-empowerment.
This white-hot momentum culminated in Karol’s Mañana Será Bonito Tour, a global trek that saw her become the first female Latin artist to embark on a stadium tour. The 34-year-old chronicles the grit and glory of this career benchmark, as well as her journey to the top, in the Netflix documentary “Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful” (streaming now).
“There are a lot of ups and downs, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I am a leader,’ and I don’t know if it’s good to show those moments that I wasn’t really good or doubting myself,” Karol tells USA TODAY. “But for me, it’s really important to show the process because a lot of the time, people are waiting for motivation or some inspiration for them to feel like, ‘I’m on the path. Everything is going to be OK.’”
Despite her unflappable stage persona, it was important for Karol to shed the “social media glitter” of celebrity for candid discussions of mental health, predatory grooming and the demands of the entertainment industry, says director Cristina Costantini.
“We don’t often imagine that after our heroes and pop stars are done with their performances that they’re going off stage and collapsing and crying,” Costantini says. “Once the performance is over is when the really interesting part of the story starts.”
Karol G on how daunting stadium tour gave her confidence
The Mañana Será Bonito Tour wasn’t an easy sell for Karol, but the payoff was priceless.
Inspired by the fan fervor for her 2023 album “Mañana Será Bonito,” which became the first all-Spanish album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200, Karol proposed an ambitious stadium tour. The singer had just gotten off the road from her Strip Love arena tour.
But as seen in “Tomorrow Was Beautiful,” Karol’s team had its doubts, citing the recent completion of her previous tour and the lengthy prep work typically required of a stadium outing. Undeterred, Karol said, “I had this feeling in me that said I have to do it. I don’t know why, but I have this feeling that people connected with my album in a different way.”
The Mañana Será Bonito Tour, which concluded in July 2024, grossed $313.3 million and was attended by 2.3 million fans across North America, Europe and Latin America, according to Billboard. It also became the highest-grossing Latin tour by a female artist.
“It was hard for them to understand, but in the end, I’m super happy that I just followed my intuition,” Karol says. “It gave me more confidence to keep following my thoughts and feelings. I’m super proud and super grateful for what happened.”
Karol G is leveling up for her ‘dream’ album
For Karol, the runaway success of “Mañana Será Bonito” isn’t just a professional triumph. It’s a launching pad for her next evolution.
“I’ve always been super dedicated to my career and my music; I’m very passionate. But after all that happened, I had to stop and think about what’s next because I had to see this as the great opportunity of my life,” Karol says. “Right now, I have this opportunity to give this dignity to myself and elevate myself to the highest level – to be out and show the world I’m ready to be in this position.”
To that end, the Grammy-winning songstress has been perfecting her craft for her yet-to-be-announced fifth album, including honing her musical skills in the studio. While details are scant, the “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” singer is teasing a multimedia experience.
“I’ve been creating what for me would be my dream next level of Karol G,” Karol says. “I’m so excited because it’s not just music. It’s so many different things that I worked on surrounding the same project in different routes.”
Why Karol G’s romance with Feid is a ‘blessing’
“Tomorrow Was Beautiful” also peels back the curtain on Karol’s swoonworthy romance with reggaeton singer-songwriter Feid.
The two became close during Karol’s 2021-2022 Bichota Tour after the singer tapped Feid to be her opening act. A star in his own right, the Colombian musician, 32, has scored 13 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Airplay chart and crisscrossed Latin American stadiums last fall on his Ferxxocalipsis World Tour.
“There have been two or three moments that we couldn’t see each other, but we understand that. Even if it’s hard, it’s not that hard because both of us understand what we do,” Karol says. “It’s a blessing for me that I have someone like him in my life and in this moment of my career.”
While the musical lovebirds have previously joined forces in the studio (2021’s “Friki” and 2024’s “+57”), Karol says the couple prefers to not mix business with pleasure.
“Both of our music has different feelings and even different narratives and perceptions, so we don’t try to put what we think in the other’s career,” Karol says. “But we support each other. If he needs an opinion or if I need an opinion, or whatever we need, we’re going to be there.”
How Karol G is making history with female empowerment
Karol’s womanhood, which she once saw as an “obstacle,” has been transformed into her superpower.
The singer’s emergence in the reggaeton scene, alongside fellow female powerhouses Natti Natasha, Becky G and Anitta, brought a girl-power revolution to the once male-dominated genre. At the 2024 Latin Grammys, Karol took home the award for best urban album for the second year in a row, making her the first woman to do so.
“In the beginning, everything was about being a girl in this industry and why it wasn’t possible,” Karol says. “Like other women opened doors for me, in this generation I’m one of those who is trying to make a difference, and this gives me a lot of motivation to keep going and to keep trying to change the story and the path.”
This unabashedly feminine perspective is evident throughout Karol’s brand, says Costantini, who observed the singer’s predominantly female team while working with Karol on her Netflix documentary.
“Part of the reason she’s been so successful is because all of the people making decisions at the high levels in her company are women, and there’s an authenticity to that,” Costantini says. “It’s all young Latina women who are pushing this thing.”
The legacy Karol G wants to leave behind
Karol is far from her final act, but el futuro is definitely on her mind.
In one of the more introspective scenes from “Tomorrow Was Beautiful,” Karol reflects that she believes she will die at a young age and that this mentality, in part, drives her to create as quickly as she can. “I feel there are so many things I have left to do,” she says in Spanish.
Such a somber confession almost contradicts the feel-good optimism of the Mañana Será Bonito tour and album, whose tagline translates to, “Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful.” But perhaps for Karol, the true beauty lies in the souls she’s able to touch while she’s still alive.
“If someone is happy because of my music, that’s the best legacy that I can leave,” Karol says. “I just want to be that person where people find a little more peace in this tough world.”
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