Karol G knew she had an opportunity to do something special on the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival stage on Sunday, April 12. After all, she became the first Latina to headline the world-famous musical event.
The evening turned into a celebration of femininity and Latino culture and colors, spotlighting what makes various nations unique and having plenty of fun in the meantime.
The crowd just had to wait a little bit longer than anticipated to take part in the fiesta.
Karol G late?
Karol G’s set kicked off 30 minutes after its original start time, likely due to Young Thug’s performance running late. Workers were still spotted on the stage setting things up several minutes after the set start time, and multiple crowd members in the front row were chanting “Sí se puede” to encourage them. It got people in the audience antsy, and someone was heard saying “she’s on Colombian time.”
But once the lights turned down, the audience locked in.
The Colombian superstar has reimagined the male-dominated world of reggaeton, so it came as no surprise that she shined a spotlight on women throughout her set. Her opening video told an ancient fable with the ending message “Latina Foreva,” which got everyone on their feet instantly. That sentiment continued as Karol G emerged, surrounded by female dancers, to sing the infectious song of the same name and turn the festival grounds into a major dance party. Fireworks, of course, followed.
“Today, I am the first Latina woman to headline Coachella,” she said toward the end of her set, which drew major applause. “I am very happy and very proud about this, but at the same time, it feels late,” noting there have been several artists who came before her that made her career possible.
Even her special guests brought girl power onto the stage. She first welcomed special guest Mariah Angeliq and turned the heat up with their sultry collab “El Makinon.” Later on, her pal Becky G joined the fun on “MAMIII” (which they also sang together during Karol G’s Coachella debut in 2022).
Her production design was simple — a large-scale rock house structure — but effective when dancers took over its many levels and openings. One of the more visually captivating set pieces involved a rock pit in the middle of the crowd filled with water, in which Karol G and her female dancers splashed around in to “Bandida entrenada.” The women later channeled Amazonian goddesses as they rocked out to “TQG” (sans Shakira, sadly).
At the same time, Latino pride took center stage. She emerged in a feather headdress and top and skirt with the colors of the Colombian flag for her song “Tropicoqueta.” She then welcomed an all-female mariachi band, which lit up the stage and brought plenty of smiles to the crowd.
“This is for my Latinos who have been struggling in this country,” Karol G said later on, referencing U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement activity. She noted that she and her group “stands for them” and praised her community’s “unity, resilience and strong spirit.” She added that she wanted “everyone to feel welcome to our culture.”
The singer shared in a recent Playboy feature that she’d been warned by people to not be political during her set. However, she said she wants to do more than just say “ICE out” and use her platform to actually have an impact on her community.
For a spotlight on Puerto Rico, Karol G invited rapper Wisin to come out and perform a medley of songs, including “Pam Pam,” “Saoco,” “Mayor Que Yo” and “Rakata.” Though Daddy Yankee was not on stage, his presence was also felt as many of his collaborations were featured.
It didn’t matter if someone didn’t understand her Spanish-language lyrics because music is all about what it makes you feel. Based on Karol G’s body language, she was feeling herself as she moved her hips to “Un gatito me llamó” — at one point she answered a phone call and said she was busy at Coachella — and “OKI DOKI.”
It’s the not the first time that Karol G has gotten the party started at Coachella. The singer owned the stage in 2022, delivering not only her chart-topping hits but also performing a medley of songs by all-Latino artists including Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan, Selena and Ricky Martin. She was also joined by collaborators Becky G and J Balvin.
Due to her late start, the singer had to cut her set short and head straight into her electrifying finale of “Provenza,” filled with all her dancers jumping around the runway, Karol G waving a Colombian flag and an explosion of fireworks filling the night sky.
We’ll have to wait until next week to see what the full set looks like (as long as it starts on time), but her Sunday set was a beautiful and meaningful sendoff to a special weekend in the desert.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Karol G channels Shakira, defies language with joyful Coachella set
Reporting by Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
