Karol G is pushing back against criticism of her latest track, Latina Forever, which some have slammed for sexualising women due to lyrics referencing “t*** and a**.” The Colombian superstar says the backlash reflects a double standard and insists she won’t compromise her authenticity to satisfy critics.
In a candid interview with Variety, the 34-year-old hitmaker opened up about the mounting pressure and scrutiny that have accompanied her success.
“I feel like the bigger the project gets, the harder the people get with me,” she said. “I think there are different opinions on how I should and shouldn’t be acting at this point in my career and it gets so confusing sometimes that it becomes hard to handle.”
Karol G acknowledged that some controversy was inevitable, especially with the visual presentation of Latina Forever.
“It’s difficult, because the video is incredible but I knew having us in bikinis with me singing about t*** and a** … I just knew it was going to be a talking point,” she admitted. “But the way I see it, I am just singing of my realities. I don’t want to change myself to have to please anyone, either.”
Known for blending emotional ballads with high-energy reggaeton anthems, Karol G emphasized that Latin women—and her music—should be allowed to be multidimensional.
“I have emotional songs on this record that are soul-touching, and then I have my fun and sometimes raunchy songs—Latinas are everything. Why can’t we just be everything?”
In addition to the controversy, Karol G is making history. She joins the ranks of Luis Miguel, Shakira, and Bad Bunny as one of the few Latin artists to headline a global stadium tour. But despite the scale of her achievements, the significance still feels surreal.
“I haven’t spoken with [Bad Bunny], but I would love the opportunity to get to talk to him about the experience, because it is such a massive accomplishment that I haven’t fully digested,” she said. “When we first sat down to route the tour, everyone kept telling me, ‘Don’t you think it’s too much too fast?’ I’m so proud that we did it.”
Reflecting on her journey, Karol G said, “I remember thinking, ‘My God, Shakira is doing this. I’m doing this?! I get to do what she does on this scale?!’ It’s insane.”
As she continues to smash records and redefine what it means to be a Latina artist on the world stage, Karol G is staying true to herself—critics or not.
