Queen of Hearts

Karol G has won fans all over the world by being herself.

- By Chantal Fernandez. Photographed by Zoey Grossman

New York City is a special place for Carolina Giraldo Navarro, better known as Karol G, the open-hearted Colombian superstar with a penchant for breaking barriers. Eleven years ago, disillusioned with the music business, Karol came to the city to study English and start over. She had spent six years struggling to break out as a singer in her hometown of Medellín with the help of her father, Juan Guillermo Giraldo Ramírez, a local musician, who saw her potential for stardom when no one else did. Few in the Latin music industry thought audiences wanted to hear a woman sing reggaeton, the dance-friendly genre dominating the airwaves with a multicultural combination of hip-hop, reggae, and dembow beats. When she packed her bags for New York, Karol was ready to say goodbye to music.

But that stint turned out to just be a detour along the way to what came next—a major record deal, global hit singles with Nicki Minaj and Shakira, and headlining tours across Latin America and the U.S., including a main-stage performance at Coachella. These days, Karol’s signature waist-length, vibrantly dyed hair has become something of a liability, thwarting her anonymity in New York City and Paris.