Karol G made her Coachella debut a non-stop showcase of sounds from across Latin America. The Colombian superstar danced her way through a powerful set, incorporating salsa, old-school reggaeton, and even an all-female mariachi crew. In between, she packed tons of surprises, inviting Becky G, Wisin, and Cigarettes After Sex guitarist Greg González for cameos onstage.
All of it culminated into one hell of a historic set, making the Colombian superstar the first Latina to headline the music festival, a major milestone in a career full of them. With her performance, Karol managed to define her Tropicoqueta era — and cement her legacy as a defining voice in the Latin music canon.
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Karol opened with her song “Latina Foreva,” setting the vibe for the show. From there, she performed favorites like “El Makinon” and the Tropicoqueta cut “Papasito,” all to high-energy choreography from Parris Goebel. Then, she welcomed an all-female mariachi troop for “Ese Hombre es Malo.” The crowd absolutely lost it when Becky G teamed up with her onstage a little later for their smash collab “MAMII.”
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The surprises didn’t stop there: Karol worked her way through old-school reggaeton and baile funk, and even premiered a new track with Cigarettes After Sex. Before she closed out, she had a reggaeton OG join her: Wisin performed “Pam Pam,” “Mayor Que Yo,” and “Rakata.” She threw it back to the classics once more with a cover of Gloria Estefan’s “Mi Tierra” and then had the audience singing to her grand finale: a rendition of “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.”
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In an interview with Rolling Stone in September, Karol shared how she wanted to emphasize her Latinidad. “I feel a responsibility to represent our Latino community. And that’s what I hope to do with what I’m preparing,” she said, adding. “I want to deliver something from my heart that represents my love for my community and my fans.”
Karol’s set took many months of planning. She told RS, “I’m putting the pressure on myself to deliver something at such a high level so people can leave the show and say, ‘Karol was ready. She was more than ready for this.’ Now it’s on me and my work to deliver that, and I’m so committed to giving the best show ever. I want everyone to feel so represented.” With her performance on Sunday night, she did exactly that.
From Rolling Stone US
