Latina Power Was Palpable at Karol G’s Historic Headlining Coachella Set

Karol G has spent the past three years making history. In 2023-24, her groundbreaking Mañana Será Bonito tour made her the first Latina artist to ever headline a global stadium tour, selling more than one million tickets across 12 countries. This weekend, she notched another milestone as the first Latina to headline Coachella — and her explosively energetic, wildly sexy, yet grounded and socially conscious set felt like the biggest night in a career that’s already had plenty of unforgettable ones.

The energy at Karolchella, as fans called her Sunday night performance, was at an all-time high. The intricate mainstage set design involved a three-story stone cave structure (likely a nod to the diverse caves throughout her native Colombia) that took extra time to construct. As fans watched the finishing touches get put on the set, delaying her performance by about 25 minutes, they chanted “bichota” and “Karol” while waving flags from all over Latin America and the Caribbean.

When the set was ready, fans heard a story (narrated by Karol in Spanish, and projected onto the screens in English) about a girl who had to break from social expectations to find her voice, and who used that strength to create light, water, fire, and valleys. Once the story finished, several flame jets began firing and Karol G and a team of women dancers opened with “Latina Foreva.” While male dancers joined the set at various points throughout her performance, the clear and intentional focus on women throughout the set contributed to the empowering energy. Other women artists flocked to view this historic moment: Young Miko, Lizzo, Camila Cabello, and Becky G could all be seen watching the show intently from the crowd, right next to the stage.

Over 90 minutes, six costume changes that included everything from cave-girl garb to tropicoqueta vibes, and four different imaginative stage areas, Karol G mesmerized the audience with stunning vocals and aggressive yet sultry choreography by Parris Goebel. The set included 20 of her own songs (including her hits “TQG” and “Amargura”), a cover of Gloria Estefan’s “Mi Tierra,” a four-song mini-set by reggaetón pioneer Wisin, and songs with Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles (the U.S.’s first all-women professional mariachi group). Other musical guests included Mariah Angeliq, who joined Karol for their hit song “El Makinon”; Becky G, who hopped onstage for a mariachi version of “Mamii”; Cigarettes After Sex singer-guitarist Greg Gonzales for the premiere of their song “Después de Ti”; and Cuban-American jazz musician Arturo Sandoval on trumpet during “Ivonny Bonita.”

The song “Ivonny Bonita” is based on Karol G’s bold and fearless alter ego, who emerged during a dark time for the artist. Last year, she told Rolling Stone: “If Carolina isn’t able to get out of this, Ivonny will be able to.” The entire show demonstrated how Ivonny’s boldness has rubbed off on Karol G.

While the historic set was deliberately sexy, with plenty of grinding, twerking, and ornate yet scant clothing, the most indulgent (and slipperiest) part of the show took place inside of a small, shallow pool of water carved from stone and illuminated like quartz. Karol G and her dancers transformed into water goddesses in itsy-bitsy silver bikinis.

During Karol G’s first Coachella performance in 2022, she honored Latin music icons Selena, Celia Cruz, Daddy Yankee, and others with a medley of their most popular songs. As the U.S. government continues to criminalize Latinos and the Spanish language, Karol G’s performance on Sunday came with even higher stakes. Last September, she told Rolling Stone: “I am honored to represent Latinos. I feel a responsibility. I want to deliver something from my heart that represents my love for my community and my fans.”

Before launching into her Gloria Estefan cover, Karol G gave a speech about the significance of the night and this moment politically. “I am Carolina Giraldo from Medellín, Colombia, and today I am the first Latina woman to headline Coachella,” she told the festival crowd. “And I’m very happy and very proud about this, but at the same time, it feels late. There has been 27 years of this festival going on, and it’s the first time a Latina girl is headlining Coachella.”

She also pointed to the political challenges facing Latino communities today. “This is for my Latinos that have been struggling in this country lately. We stand for them, I stand for my Latino community…feel proud, raise your flag.” Projected on the screens next to her was the text “orgullosamente Latinos” (“proudly Latinos”) and “poderosamente imparables” (“powerfully unstoppable”).

As the Latin American and Caribbean flags waved across the giant sea of fans, with several people wearing the quintessentially Colombian black-and-white cane-fiber hats known as sombreros vueltiaos, a little girl sat atop her parent’s shoulders screaming with joy. As a Latina who has been coming to Coachella since I was a kid (in fact, I was at the very first Coachella in 1999), I cannot imagine how empowering it would have been to see a fellow Latina headline at a young age. But Karol claimed the Coachella grounds last night. And her success leaves me with faith that this will not be the last time a Latina headlines this iconic festival.

In the middle of “Si Antes te Hubiera Conocido,” the Latina headliner announced that she had to wrap up the show and wanted to perform “Provenza,” a song she debuted in her 2022 Coachella set. The explosive closing performance transitioned into the Tiesto remix of the song before a confetti blast, and Karol took a final bow with her dancers.

From women pouring water over Karol, baptising her in the stone-carved pool, to the distinct focus on women guests and dancers, the show was a master class in women’s empowerment. The video projection of Karol’s silhouette removing each article of clothing was deeply meaningful in the context of the set’s themes: that by embracing our authentic voices and inner selves, and liberating ourselves from expectations, we unlock our true strength. With the support of Goebel, who served as the night’s creative director and choreographer, Karol G literally revealed her entire self on Sunday night. We didn’t get her alter ego Ivonny, or even necessarily Karol G. It felt more like we finally got the fearless Carolina from Medellín, Colombia. And she is incredible.

Leading up to her headlining performance, Karol G teased the set in conversation with writer Paola Ramos in an interview for Playboy, and noted that this year has been a “fuck it” year for her. She also said, “This is the first time in my life that I feel I’m going to see myself as the artist in the same caliber as the stage that I’m stepping on.” As well she should. The groundbreaking Latina superstar left it all on the stage Sunday night, and it paid off. Her Coachella performance cements her as a new mother of Latin music.