For this yr’s replace of our ongoing Best Pop Star by Yr challenge, Billboard is counting down our employees picks for the highest 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 6, we keep in mind the yr in Karol G — who reached new heights as a recording and touring artist and confirmed herself as one of many greatest stars on the planet.
Karol G’s progress in direction of international domination was on show at her two-day “Mañana Será Bonito” Pageant, held in December at Estadio Atanasio Girardot in her native Medellín, Colombia — the place she carried out for a sold-out crowd of greater than 40,000 followers every day. Far past simply giving the last word fan expertise to these in attendance — together with a carnival, dwell music and particular friends equivalent to Romeo Santos, Feid, Younger Miko and DJ Tiesto — the pageant was the admirable results of a music profession that started in 2006 and has now achieved international recognition in 2023.
Billboard’s Best Pop Stars of 2023:
Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Yr: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Yr: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat | No. 8: Unhealthy Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo
“My house is the place the place the dream started, the need, the motivation, the place we took step one […] Who stated that nobody is a prophet in their very own land when Colombia has given me all the things?” she expressed on Instagram previous to her Dec. 1st and 2nd reveals. “It brings tears to my eyes to know that my yr ends at dwelling, within the metropolis the place I used to be born, and which believed in me earlier than some other place.”
Because the MSB Pageant indicated, 2023 has been nothing however life-changing and historic for Karol. Recent off her 2022 successes — such because the Becky G-assisted “MAMIII” and “Provenza,” each which hit No. 1 on the Scorching Latin Songs chart, and her $journey Love U.S. area tour, which grossed $72.2 million and offered 424,000 tickets — the Colombian hitmaker was prepared to beat the brand new yr, setting even greater targets.
Courtesy Photograph
Lea Colombo
Her first launch of 2023 was “X Si Volvemos,” a sultry reggaeón collaboration with Romeo Santos , which arrived on Feb. 2 and marked the third preview of her fourth studio album (following her 2022 one-offs “Cairo” and “Gatubela” with Maldy). On Feb. 24, she formally unleashed all the set, entitled Mañana Será Bonito (Tomorrow will probably be Stunning), with 14 different tracks that showcased her musical evolution and flexibility. The artist born Carolina Giraldo Navarro didn’t shrink back from experimenting with bossa nova (“Carolina”), banda (“Gucci Los Paños”), dembow (“Ojos Ferrari”) and even punk rock (“Tus Gafitas”), but it surely was the set’s lyrical content material that resonated most with followers — one which showcased a happier, more healthy, and healed Karol for 2023.
The album’s reception was so large that it made historical past as the primary Spanish-language album by a feminine artist to succeed in No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Furthermore, the set’s focus single “TQG” with Shakira—a dramatic city pop track the place the 2 artists efficiently blossomed after their respective public superstar breakups — debuted at No. 1 on each the Billboard International 200 and Billboard International Excl. U.S. charts, whereas additionally crowning six different Billboard listings and turning into Karol’s first high 10 hit on the Billboard Scorching 100.
In celebration of her historic manufacturing, the 32-year-old singer took over Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium for 3 back-to-back concert events in March. It was then — as a consequence of followers chanting all her new materials simply days after its launch — that the thought of embarking on her first-ever stadium tour was born.
However earlier than hitting the highway once more in the summertime, Karol made necessary profession strikes. In April, she made her Saturday Evening Stay debut, the place she carried out songs from her new album and was a part of a sketch alongside Cuban-born actress (and that episode’s host) Ana de Armas. In June, she signed an bold take care of Interscope Information that included her proudly owning all her masters and releasing music beneath her personal imprint, Bichota Information. And in July, she dropped “Watiti” with Panamanian artist Aldo Ranks, a playful reggaetón single with EDM influences that marked the second single from the Barbie movement image soundtrack. Not solely did forming a part of the most important film of the summer time additional show her great star energy but it surely was additionally the one Spanish-language monitor on the star-studded set, which additionally included songs by Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Bilie Eilish and extra large names.
And since one album was not sufficient for her prolific 2023, Karol stunned followers with Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) — a model new set with 9 tracks, together with her norteño hit “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” and the Peso Pluma-assisted “QLONA” — that not solely earned her one other high 5 entry on the Billboard 200, however formally kicked off her U.S. stadium tour.
The 15-date stint, which included a pair of sold-out reveals on the New York-area MetLife Stadium in September, gathered followers of all ages, wearing pink wigs and their greatest summer time suits as they chanted alongside to all of Karol’s greatest hits. The trek grossed $138.4 million and offered 759K tickets throughout 15 reveals within the U.S. between Aug. 11 and Sept. 28, touchdown Karol at No. 1 on the Billboard Yr-Finish Latin Excursions chart and later profitable her high Latin touring artist, along with high Latin feminine artist, on the 2023 Billboard Music Awards in November.
Then, after being one of many only a few Latin acts to dominate an enormous stadium tour, Karol was prepared to brush awards season. In September, she made her MTV Video Music Awards debut, the place she not solely carried out a sultry medley of “Oki Doki” and “Ta OK,” but additionally nabbed the most effective collaboration award for “TQG.” In October, she gained 5 Billboard Latin Music Awards, along with the Spirit of Hope Award for her philanthropic work supporting girls by means of her Con Cora Basis. And in November, she nabbed three Latin Grammys, together with the coveted album of the yr trophy for Mañana Será Bonito. She additionally grew to become the primary girl to take dwelling the city album of the yr award.
“How cool is it for a girl to win this?” she stated throughout her acceptance speech. “This album modified my life, and it’s unimaginable that it’s modified the lifetime of so many individuals.”
In the meantime, amid touring life and amassing well-deserved accolades, Karol’s gentle shined on social media. Typically instances she’d ship voice messages on her Telegram group, she’d do an Instagram Stay to point out what a time without work appears like for her again dwelling, and on TikTok, she’d share lovable movies of her child niece or soar on viral traits. All of it additional demonstrated why, past connecting and falling in love along with her persona and attraction, followers virtually contemplate her household.
Subsequent yr, the Colombiana is able to take her Mañana Será Bonito Tour to Latin America, the place she’s going to go to international locations equivalent to Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, and her appearing classes will even come into play when she makes her Netflix debut on the drama sequence Griselda, starring Sofia Vergara, in January. Although Karol has ascended to international superstardom in 2023, it’s protected to say that Bichota Season ought to stretch nicely into 2024.
