Meet Karol G, Colombia's Taylor Swift

11 December 2024

Catherine Ellis
Business reporter



Karol G had four sold out shows at Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium this summer
We have all heard of Taylor Swift, but what about Colombian singer Karol G?

While Swift has dominated the headlines and concert ticket sales over recent years, it is actually the 33-year-old Latin American pop star whose videos are the most watched online.

That's according to Vevo, which is the main provider of official music videos to YouTube. Karol G's were the most streamed around the world for each of the past four years, 2021 to 2024.

This year, Karol G's Vevo videos were watched 3.5 billion times, with fellow Colombian Shakira in second place on 1.96 billion, and Swift on 1.95 billion.

So who is Karol G, and what has fuelled the success that also saw her sell out Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium over four nights back in July, plus stadiums across the US last year?

Born in the Colombian city of Medellín in 1991 her full name is Carolina Giraldo Navarro. She wanted to be a singer from an early age, and when she was 14 she appeared on the Colombian version of the talent show X Factor in 2005.

Success did not immediately follow, and instead by 2014 she had moved to the US to live with her aunt in New York City to learn English and do menial work. She almost gave up pursuing a career in music at this time, but her father convinced her that she could make it.

More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg3dl757w6o