Colombian songwriter and performer Karol G brought a big splash to kick off the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night (November 19), performing a combination of three songs, “Qlona,” “Labios Mordidos,” and “Ojos Ferrari.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Kicking off the evening’s festivities, Karol G, in a white bikini top and white pants, wowed with a pre-recorded nearly four-minute video that involved a number of lithe dancers, wet and wild water splashing, and a lot of skin. The pre-recorded performance, a new twist for award shows this year as the performances didn’t seem to come in front of a live audience, occurred after the BBMA’s slyly teased Karol G’s set on Twitter.
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For the 32-year-old Grammy-nominated Karol G, the performance on Sunday marked the culmination of a big year. The global hitmaker released her latest LP, Mañana Será Bonito, earlier in 2023 in February. That 17-track album, which featured guests like Shakira (on the top-10 hit song “TQG“) and Sean Paul, garnered her immediate fame. It also became the first all-Spanish LP by a female artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Now, less than a calendar year later, she brought the big waves to the BBMAs.
Earlier this year Karol G made headlines for calling out GQ magazine for photoshopping her on the cover of one of the latest issues. “My face doesn’t look like that, my body doesn’t look like that and I feel very happy and comfortable with how I look naturally,” wrote the singer on Instagram in Spanish.
She added, “I understand the repercussions that this can have, but beyond feeling that it is disrespectful to me, it is [disrespectful to] women who wake up every day looking to feel comfortable with ourselves despite society’s stereotypes.”
Then, just days after that kerfuffle, Karol G played the Saturday Night Live stage in April, performing her tracks “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora” and “Tus Gafitas.” She also took part in a Spanish class-themed skit for the famed variety sketch show.
In her career, Karol G has thus far earned two Billboard Music Awards (heading into tonight), five Latin Grammy Awards, and one American Music Award. She’s fast become one of the most decorated pop stars of the decade.
Check out footage from Karol G’s performance at the Billboard Music Awards below.
Photo via BBMA screen shot
