Karol G Draws Record-Breaking Crowd During Her “Today” Citi Concert Series Performance

Karol G is making morning show history in the United States…

The 32-year-old Colombian superstar drew a record-breaking crowd during her performance in New York on Friday, June 30 as part of TODAY‘s Citi Concert Series.

Karol G“All of you are my dream come true,” she said onstage, where she performed in front of more than 15,000 people. “The last two years we’ve been growing as a movement and Latinos, we support what we do around the world so we’re here proud of all of us and it’s such an amazing moment for me. It’s my first time on this stage and we’re breaking records, mami.

Among the songs that Karol G performed were her Shakira-assisted smash hit “TQG” and “Mientras Me Curo del Cora,” both part of her history-making set Mañana Será Bonito — the first all-Spanish album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200.

Karol G Releases Music Video for Popular Track “Amargura,” Filmed Live During Her Puerto Rico Concerts

Karol G is sharing a bitter(sweet) clip…

The 32-year-old Colombian singer surprised fans by releasing the official music video to her song “Amargura” from her historic album Mañana Será Bonito

Karol GThe video was recorded in one of the spectacular concerts that the Colombian offered in Puerto Rico last March.

The video shows Karol G rocking her long, red locks and an all-denim outfit while she energetically performs the infectious heartbreak reggaeton track.

The video also shows aerial scenes of the packed Estadio Hiram Bithorn and fans jamming along to the lyrics.

The video already has more than two million views on YouTube and has almost five thousand comments on that platform.

“Amargura” is one of the most popular tracks on Mañana Será Bonito

The track is in the Top 50 on Spotify in several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Chile.

Karol G Performs “Mañana Será Bonito” Singles During Second “Tiny Desk Concert”

Karol G is back at the (tiny) desk 

The 32-year-old Colombian superstar returned to NPR’s headquarters for her second “Tiny Desk Concert,” which premiered on Monday, May 15.

Karol GThe 17-minute acoustic performance, where she was accompanied by an all-girl music ensemble, included new versions of four tracks from her Billboard history-making album Mañana Será Bonito. She kicked it off the mini-set with the ultra-personal “Carolina.”

“I have to say that I’m super proud of them because this show is special,” she said of the talented musicians. “It’s the first time after eight years that I never rehearse with my In-Ears. I forgot how cool it feels. I feel like I’m in my home, with my people, drinking wine […] but now, let’s bring some Mexican vibes to this place!” she added before performing her heartfelt Banda track “Gucci Los Paños.”

Rocking a trucker hat, a yellow jacket, and blue locks, the Colombian artist expressed “I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” she said. “The album is super new and this is the first time I’m singing some of the songs here, and they feel so good in this version.”

She then performed a sultry reggae version of her Quevedo-assisted “Pero Tú” and a heartfelt bossanova version of “Mercurio.”

“Tiny Desk, thanks for the opportunity, this is super great and it kind of takes us out of the routine of what we normally do,” she noted. “It was a pleasure for all those who are at home, to share this moment with you and to share it in this way that is so personal for many reasons.”

 

Karol made her NPR debut in 2021 for a “Tiny Desk Home Concert,” where she performed “Creeme,” “A Ella,” “200 Copas” with special guest Danny Felix, and “Contigo Voy a Muerte” with special guest Camilo.

Eslabon Armado’s “Desvelado” Makes History on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums Chart with No. 1 Debut

Eslabon Armado is making history…

The Regional Mexican group has earned a place in the Latin music history books with the No. 1 debut of their full-length album Desvelado on Billboard’Top Latin Albums chart dated May 13.

Eslabon Armado,With 44,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, the set scores the largest week for a regional Mexican album since the survey started measuring titles by units in February 2017. 

“It means a lot being No. 1 on Top Latin Albums,” Pedro Tovar tells Billboard. “It’s probably our favorite album, but we didn’t expect it to go that high! Mainly because I know that people don’t like something at first, but when four, five, six months or a whole year pass by, there’s always that one song that hits, and then everybody is like, ‘Oh, this is my favorite album!’”

Desvelado was released April 27 via DEL Records. The 16-track effort starts with 44,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the April 28-May 4 tracking week, according to Luminate.

As its predecessor (Nostalgia, 2022), nearly all of Desvelado’s first-week total was fueled by streaming-equivalent album units, with 43,000 stemming from the metric. In total, its songs drew 63.51 million official U.S. streams – the most in a week ever for a regional Mexican album.

The set also boasts the fifth biggest streaming opening week among Latin albums, after Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (365.55 million official streams, May 2022), YHLQMDLG (201.37 million, March 2020) and El Último Tour del Mundo (145.94 million, Dec. 2020), as well as Karol G’s Mañana Sera Bonito (118.73 million streams, March 11-dated list).

On the all-genre Billboard 200, Desvelado opens at No. 6, becoming the highest rank ever for a regional Mexican album, since the ranking started measuring by units in December 2014. It also becomes the second album to hit the top 10, surpassing Eslabon Armado’s No. 9-peaking Nostalgia in May 2022.

“The hardest challenge producing and recording this album was the timing,” Tovar remembers. “We wanted to release it on the 27th and we had such a short time to record everything. Plus, I didn’t really get much time to put in the final touches, so I put it on God’s hands. The result was amazing.”

As Desvelado arrives at the summit on Top Latin Albums, Eslabon Armado maintain their perfect run of six straight top 10s among six chart appearances. Out of those, one other album took the quartet up the penthouse: the one-week ruler VIbras de Noche in August 2020. Plus, Eslabon’s sixth studio effort sends Benito’s Un Verano Sin Ti to No. 2 after its 46-nonconsecutive-week domination. (Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito crowned for five weeks in between.)

Desvelado was preceded by the No. 1 viral hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma — in its fourth week in charge on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart. It concurrently reaches No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart, with 34.6 million official U.S. streams, up 2%. It’s the first regional Mexican song to lead the list and the first No. 1 on the chart for both acts. Elsewhere, “Ella Baila Sola” rises 20-9 on the all-Latin-genre Latin Airplay tally with 6.7 million in audience impressions earned during the same tracking week, a first top 10 for Peso Pluma there.

Meanwhile, among the new recruits on Hot Latin Songs, “Así Lo Quiso Dios,” with Luis R. Conriquez, bows at No. 24. “Quédate Conmigo,” with Grupo Frontera, follows at No. 25, while “Quiés Es El?” starts at No. 33.

“Honestly, ‘Quédate Conmigo,’ with Grupo Frontera, is the song I relate to with the most,” Tovar muses. “It’s super romantic and it fits me perfectly because now I am in love. In a way, I am kind of dedicating that song to a special someone.”

About Desvelado’s eight collaborations, Tovar concludes: “I think the best one is with Peso Pluma, mainly because it’s the No. 1 song. Everywhere I go I hear it… everywhere! I don’t get tired of singing that song at all.”

Ana de Armas to Make Hosting Debut on “Saturday Night Live”

Ana de Armas is ready to make a special late night debut.

The 34-year-old Cuban and Spanish Oscar-nominated actress will soon be making her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live.

Ana de Armas, No Time to Diede Armas, who earned her first Oscar nod for her portraying Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, will take on hosting duties on April 15.

It comes as she is starring in Apple’s Ghosted, which premieres on April 21.

She will be joined by Karol G, who recently released album Mañana Será Bonito, as musical guest.

It will be Karol G’s first appearance on the long-running NBC sketch comedy series.

Saturday Night Live is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

Shakira Shatters 14 Guinness World Records with Bizarrap-Collaboration “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53”

Shakira is breaking records…

Guinness World Records has announced that the 46-year-old Colombian superstar, a savage lyricist, shattered several records on Spotify and the Billboard charts with “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53,” her collaboration with Argentinian DJ Bizarrap.

Shakira, GuinnessAmong her broken records, “Music Sessions Vol. 53” — the scathing electro-pop banger aimed at her ex-partner Gerard Piqué — became the most-streamed Latin song on Spotify in both a 24-hour and single-week timeframe. The track received 14.4 million streams in a single day, and 80.6 million streams in a week.

“Music Sessions Vol. 53” also broke the record for fastest Latin track to reach 100 million views on YouTube after reaching the number in approximately 70 hours and broke the record for most views in 24 hours with 63 million in a single day on YouTube.

With the song, Shakira also became the first female vocalist to debut in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 with a Spanish song, and the first female to replace herself at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay charts.

The song also helped Shakira break the record of Most Top 10 hits on both Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay charts by a female artist. Other accolades include swooping the record for most Billboard charts topped by a Spanish-language song by a female artist and Most No. 1 hits on the Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, and Latin Digital Song Sales charts.

To date, the song has more than 403 million streams on Spotify, while the track’s music video has garnered over 410 million views on YouTube. Since the Bizarrap collab, Shakira has joined Karol G on “TQG” from her Colombian compatriot’s album Mañana Será Bonito, a track that is an insta-hit globally.

Guinness World Record Titles Held by Shakira Thanks to “Music Sessions Vol. 53”:

  1. Most streamed Latin track on Spotify in 24 hours
  2. Most viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours
  3. Fastest Latin track to reach 100 million views on YouTube
  4. Most streamed Latin track on Spotify in one week
  5. First female vocalist to debut in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 with a Spanish-language track
  6. Most No.1s on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart by a female artist
  7. First female artist to replace herself at No.1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart
  8. Most cumulative weeks at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart by a female artist
  9. Most Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart by a female artist
  10. Most Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart by a female artist
  11. Most No.1s on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart by a female artist
  12. Most Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart by a female artist
  13. Most No.1s on Billboard’s Latin Digital Song Sales chart
  14. Most Billboard charts topped by a Spanish-language track by a female artist

Karol G Rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Songwriters Chart

Karol G has the write stuff…

The 32-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter soars to No. 1 on Billboards Latin Songwriters chart dated March 11, becoming just the second woman to rule the ranking.

Karol GKarol G leads for the first time due to an impressive 16 songwriting credits on the latest Hot Latin Songs chart, all via songs on her new LP Mañana Será Bonito.

The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making history as the first all-Spanish-language leader by a woman. The only other all-Spanish-language No. 1 albums are Bad Bunny’s El Último Tour del Mundo and Un Verano Sin Ti.

The only other woman to have hit No. 1 on Latin Songwriters is Regional Mexican teen sensation Yahritza Martinez, who tallied four weeks on top in April 2022 due to Yahritza y Su Esencia’s breakthrough single, “Soy El Unico.”

Here’s a recap of Karol G’s entries on the latest Hot Latin Songs chart:

Rank, Title
No. 1, “TQG,” with Shakira
No. 4, “X Si Volvemos,” with Romeo Santos
No. 8, “Mientras Me Curo del Cora”
No. 9, “Gucci Los Paños”
No. 10, “Tus Gafitas”
No. 11, “Gatúbela,” with Maldy
No. 13, “Cairo,” with Ovy on the Drums
No. 14, “Pero Tú,” with Quevedo
No. 16, “Ojos Ferrari,” with Justin Quiles & Ángel Dior
No. 17, “Besties”
No. 19, “Mañana Será Bonita,” with Carla Morrison
No. 24, “Amargura”
No. 25, “Karmika,” with Bad Gyal & Sean Paul
No. 26, “Mercurio”
No. 29, “Danamos Los Amistad”
No. 33, “Carolina”

In the history of the Hot Latin Songs chart, only Bad Bunny and Ozuna have charted at least 16 songs simultaneously. Bad Bunny holds the record for the most in one week: 24, on May 21, 2022, concurrent with the chart start for Un Verano Sin Ti.

Ovy on the Drums Returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Producers Chart

Ovy on the Drums is back on top…

The 32-year-old Colombian music producer, artist, and top-line songwriter returns to No. 1 for an 18th week on the latest Latin Producers chart dated March 11, due to his production work on Karol G’s latest album Mañana Será Bonito.

Ovy on the DrumsOvy produced 11 charting songs from the album (Nos. 1, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, 25 and 33). Only Tainy and MAG have spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Latin Producers chart: 119 and 38, respectively.

The weekly Latin Producers chart is based on total points accrued by a producer, for each attributed song that appears on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

As with Billboard‘s yearly recaps, multiple writers or producers split points for each song equally (and the dividing of points will lead to occasional ties on rankings). Billboard launched its Hot 100 Producers charts, as well as genre-specific rankings for country, rock & alternative, R&B/hip-hop, R&B, rap, Latin, Christian, gospel and dance/electronic in June 2019. Alternative and hard rock joined in 2020, along with seasonal holiday rankings in 2022.

The full Latin Producers charts, in addition to the full genre rankings, can be found on Billboard.com.

Karol G’s Shakira-Collaboration “TQG” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart

Karol G’s hot streak continues…

The 32-year-old Colombian singer has notched another No. 1 debut to her account, as “TQG” (“Te Quedé Grande”), with Shakira, arrives at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated March 11.

Shakira & Karol GIt’s the third pair-up by two female artists in a lead role to debut at No. 1 since the tally launched in 1986 — and they’ve all been Karol G collaborations.

Karol G’s new album Mañana Será Bonito’s large streaming first-week sum spurs 13 debuts on Hot Latin Songs. Those, plus three titles also striding up the list, take over the multimetric ranking.

In total, 16 songs of the 17-track set rank on this week’s chart, while “Provenza,” now off the tally, ruled for one week in May 2022 (Karol G’s only No. 1 as a soloist among six champs).

With 16 tracks on the chart concurrently, Karol G makes history as the woman with the most simultaneous songs since the ranking began. Only two other acts have scored more songs: Bad Bunny with between 17 and 24 concurrent songs throughout different periods and Ozuna with 21 titles in September 2018.

Plus, with five songs in the top 10, Karol G now holds the record for the most simultaneous top 10s among women.

The No. 1 start for “TQG” is powered by streaming activity. It logged 29 million clicks in the U.S., during the February 24-March 2 tracking week, according to Luminate, becoming the most-streamed Latin song of the week.

Karol G first summoned fans to Times Square for the Shakira collab announcement through social media on February 22, where the song was teased on the big screens. The joint effort by the Colombian stars, plus buzz generated about the narrative of the song (heartbreak and moving on after high-profile breakups), have helped “TQG” bow atop Hot Latin Songs.

It becomes just the eighth song by a female act to debut at No. 1 since the chart launched in 1986. Here’s the recap:

Debut Date, Title, Artists
Jan. 14, 2012, “Hotel Nacional,” Gloria Estefan
Feb. 28, 2015, “Mi Verdad,” Mana Featuring Shakira
Nov. 19, 2016, “Chantaje,” Shakira Featuring Maluma
Oct. 13, 2018, “Taki Taki” DJ Snake Featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B
Nov. 23, 2019, “Tusa,” Karol G & Nicki Minaj
August 8, 2020, “Un Dia (One Day),” J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
Feb. 26, 2022, “MAMIII,” Becky G X Karol G
March 11, 2023, “TQG,” Karol G & Shakira

Further breaking down the big debut, “TQG” earns multiple achievements:

-It’s the sixth title with a female act in a lead role to debut at No. 1 since the chart launched in 1986.

-It’s the fifth title by a Hispanic female act on a lead role to debut at No. 1 since the chart’s inception. (Hispanic relating to Spanish-speaking countries, especially those in Latin America and/ or artists with Latin ascendancy).

-It’s the third pair-up by two female artists in a lead role to debut at No. 1, all including Karol G.

Here’s a look at all the songs from Mañana Será Bonito on the current Hot Latin Songs chart:

Rank, Title, Artist (if other than Karol G)
No. 1, “TQG,” with Shakira (debut)
No. 4, “X Si Volvemos,” with Romeo Santos
No. 8, “Mientras Me Curo El Cora” (debut)
No. 9, “Gucci Los Paños” (debut)
No. 10, “Tus Gafitas” (debut)
No. 11, “Gatúbela,” with Maldy
No. 13, “Cairo,” with Ovy on The Drums
No. 14, “Per Tú,” with Quevedo (debut)
No. 16, “Ojos Ferrari,” with Justin Quiles and Angel Dior (debut)
No, 17, “Besties” (debut)
No. 19, “Mañana Será Bonito,” with Carla Morrison (debut)
No. 24, “Amargura” (debut)
No. 25, “Karmika,” with Bad Gyal and Sean Paul (debut)
No. 26, “Mercurio” (debut)
No. 29, “Dañamos La Amistad,” with Sech (debut)
No. 33, “Carolina (debut)

“TQG” also records activity in the other two metrics that influence the Hot Latin Songs chart: radio airplay and song sales. On Latin Airplay, it debuts at No. 27 with 4.29 million in audience impressions. It also accrues 7,000 downloads for a No. 1 start on Latin Digital Song Sales and No. 4 on the overall Digital Song Sales.

Karol G Makes History as “Mañana Será Bonito” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

Karol G is celebrating a historic moment…

The 32-year-old Colombian singer and songwriter’s new album Mañana Será Bonito is making an unprecedented splash on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated March 11, as the set debuts atop the tally.

Karol GIt’s both the first No. 1 for the artist and the chart’s first No. 1 all-Spanish-language album by a female artist.

“I feel so very special. More than happiness I feel special,” Karol G tells Billboard, who spoke with her as the news was reported. “My last album did so well and had all those big hits, like ‘Bichota,’ so the bar was high. But I didn’t want to make music because I felt pressure. I wanted to make the music I wanted to make, and the fact that I’ve hit No. 1 with an album that is so personal is enormous.” 

Previously, only two all-Spanish albums led the list, both by Bad Bunny. (Un Verano Sin Ti in 2022 and El Ultimo Tour del Mundo in 2020).

Mañana Será Bonito earned 94,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending March 2, according to Luminate. Its starting sum was largely powered by streaming activity.

Of Mañana Será Bonito’s 94,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 83,000 (equaling 118.73 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 17 tracks), album sales comprise 10,000 and TEA units comprise 1,000. The album’s sales were largely powered by its digital download album (8,500), though there was a CD available in limited quantities, selling about 1,500 copies. The digital album was also offered in two alternative cover variants on Karol G’s official webstore.

Mañana Será Bonito logs the largest week, by equivalent album units earned, for a Latin album by a woman since the chart began measuring by units in December of 2014. (Latin albums are defined as those that have hit or are eligible for Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart.) Further, as Mañana Será Bonito generated 118.73 million official on-demand streams for its songs, the set registers the biggest streaming week ever for a Latin album by a woman.

Mañana Será Bonito is also the first Latin album by a woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 since 1995, when Selena’s posthumously-released, mostly-Spanish effort Dreaming of You topped the list for one week. (The 13-song Dreaming of You album has six tracks in Spanish, five in English and two duets that blend English and Spanish.)

Only three mostly-non-English-language albums by women have reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – the all-Spanish Mañana Será BonitoDreaming of You and The Singing Nun’s all-French-language self-titled album in 1963.

Karol G made her Billboard chart debut in 2016 and has been a force on Billboard’s Latin genre charts ever since, notching 17 top 10 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart – including five No. 1s (through the most recently published chart, dated March 4). On the Top Latin Albums list, she’s previously logged a trio of top two-charting sets, including one No. 1, her previous release, KG0516, in 2021.

Mañana Será Bonito is the fourth charting album for Karol G on the all-genre Billboard 200, but first to reach the top 10. She previously visited the list with KG0516 (No. 20 in 2021), Ocean (No. 54 in 2019) and Unstoppable (No. 192 in 2017). Preceding the release of the new album, Karol had logged five top 40-charting hit songs on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, but with three of them coming in 2022: “Mamiii,” with Becky G (No. 15), “Provenza” (No. 25) and “Gatubela,” with Maldy (No. 37). Both “Mamiii” and “Provenza” became Karol’s first top 10-charting hits on the all-genre Streaming Songs chart, reaching Nos. 5 and 10, respectively. (Both “Provenza” and “Gatubela” are included on Mañana Será Bonito.)

With Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito replacing SZA’s SOS at No. 1, it’s the first time a woman has replaced another woman atop the list in over a year. It last happened when a trio of leading ladies traded off the top spot from November 20, 2021-December 4, 2021. Summer Walker’s Still Over It debuted at No. 1 on the on November 20 chart, Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) then opened atop the list on November 27, and Adele’s 30 bowed at No. 1 on the December 4 chart.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.