Karol G is back with a new album, Tropicoqueta, and the bar was set very high. She has, in the last 5 years, become one of the biggest stars in Latin music. This was firmly cemented by her last album Mañana Será Bonito (translation: tomorrow will be beautiful) that was released in 2023. The album and its subsequent follow-up mixtape and supporting tour firmly placed Karol in a league above a lot of her peers. As she dominated 2023 and 2024 her songs resonated with women across Latin America and the wider world, touching on her emotions, experiences, and most importantly her composure as the face of women in Urbana music. She further extended her reign over the charts with the merengue song Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido (Translation: If I Had Met You Before) which served as a top 10 hit on several national charts across the Americas and Europe.
This leads us to just a few weeks ago when Karol teased a new era with the song Latina Foreva. Not long after the song dropped she announced her fifth studio album Tropicoqueta. Like most Karol fans, I was intrigued and excited to see what this latest installment of her discography would deliver. Of the album she said ‘it wasn’t about looking further, but about looking deeper… deeper into me, who I really am, the things I like, everything that represents me. Going back to my roots, to the songs I grew up listening with, to the sounds that made me fall in love with music.’ WIth this in mind the ethos of the album leans heavily into not only the Caribbean sounds that Karol played with after her last album, but serves as a deeper dive into a multi-verse of Latin genres.
A deep dive into Latin genres
The album itself is an interesting, and sometimes brilliant, exploration of the scope of Latin music. On Tropicoqueta Karol takes us to the favelas of Rio, the Beaches of Punta Cana, and the heart of Medellín. The opening of the album takes us back to the mid 90s with a prevalent sample of Piel Morena by Thalía. The tone is set with an understanding that Karol will be pulling from across the region to build her album. We are set up with the expectation that this album will be referential, reflecting and adapting on classic songs in the Latin music canon. Tropicoqueta delivers in this respect. As you listen you are transported through genres and eras, with echoes of songs long loved in the background of the tracklist.
The diversity of genres on the album benefit the listening experience a majority of the time. She has also branched out linguistically recording a song in English, Papasito (translation: Daddy), and one in Portuguese, Bandida Entrenada (translation: Trained Bandit). It shows some initiative to branch out further into Brazilian music after the success of her previous Funk Carioca song, Ta OK. Her foray into English felt like an improvement on her last English song, Don’t Be Shy, but still lacked the special sauce that makes Karol the star she is in Spanish.
Tropicoqueta also finds Karol in what may feel a touch transitional as an artist. Mañana Será Bonito felt like it came from a younger Karol who found her footing as a more mature and confident song writer. Tropicoqueta feels like the Karol of Mañana Será Bonito pushing toward a more adult space, leaning into the comfort of her past success to stretch herself creatively. With this in mind, some of the songs on this album feel like they are evocative of her past work. I would argue that these are songs that stood out less to me as I listened through, being more engaged with tracks like Coleccionando Heridas (translation: Collecting Wounds) that had more to say, or showed more growth.
An additional aspect of Karol’s artistic signature that is continued on Tropicoqueta is her talent for making music that feels very relaxed, delivering a chill, laid back vibe. Songs like Ivonny Bonita (translation: Pretty Ivonny), Dile Luna (translation: Tell Luna) and Verano Rosa (translation: Pink Summer), a romantic duet with Karol’s partner, Feid, set a standard across the album. No matter what Karol branches out into, calming reggaeton is a mainstay of her music. Occasionally it feels like tracks on the album prioritise the overarching vibe above the lyrical content. This doesn’t impede on the listening experience too much, giving you the opportunity to experience different facets of Karol’s artisty. Personally I will always lean toward songs with greater lyrical complexity or more daring production choices.
Feminism and storytelling on Tropicoqueta
One facet of the album that stood out to me particularly as I listened through the tracks is that amidst songs about love and relationships, sit lyrically dynamic tracks that have a storytelling aspect. Amiga Mia (translation: My Friend) is one such song. The song, a collaboration with fellow Colombiana Greeicy, follows the dialogue of a woman encouraging her friend to leave a subpar boyfriend. While we see plenty of music about toxic relationships, there aren’t many from the perspective of a friend watching the story unfold. It was an interesting take and covers an experience almost every woman has had, urging their besties to drop men who don’t deserve them. In a sense, Amiga Mia hits on a level akin to girl, so confusing by Charli XCX and Lorde. While the subject matter and context is different, both show the dynamic and often hidden aspects of women and their friendships.
Storytelling as a throughline continues with Se Puso Linda (translation: She Became Pretty), a song about a woman finding herself after leaving an abusive relationship. It encapsulates a very specific line of feminist messaging that has existed throughout Karol’s discography. She is known for releasing music with themes of empowerment and overcoming toxic relationships, Se Puso Linda is a continuation of this.
In sharp contrast is the previously released single, Latina Foreva. The song seeks to be an empowering anthem celebrating Latinas, with Karol showing pride in her heritage. The drawback is that this song heavily leans into the idea that her pride as a Latina comes from physical traits (she literally repeats the phrase ‘tits and ass’ in the song). While this isn’t wrong per say, it feels a bit reductive and centres heavily on the male gaze.
Latina Foreva feels like it is 50% the way there, the idea and the ethos is correct, but the way the message is communicated feels dated. This is in contrast to the production of the song itself which is fun and fast paced. I won’t turn off the song as I cycle through the album but it is not a highlight for me.
Tropicoqueta – the final stretch
The strongest stretch of Tropicoqueta is its closing four songs. The final section starts with Se Puso Linda before moving into Viajando Por El Mundo (translation: Travelling The World). I personally think this is one of the strongest songs on the album, and of Karol’s career. In the song she is reflecting on her travels around the world with the Mañana Será Bonito World Tour, which I attended in London. The song feels like her way of confirming the truth of her own mantra from the past era, that tomorrow will be beautiful. Viajando Por El Mundo finds Karol in a reflective headspace embracing the joy in her life. I appreciate this song shows Karol reflecting on her success with pride, something that is not always expected of women in the music industry.
The final stretch then takes us to Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido. This song has been out for an entire year, and listening to it again in the context of the album has not changed my thoughts on it. This is, for me, Karol G’s best song. It oozes joy, summer, and defies anyone who isn’t swaying their hips as it plays. Given this was the first taste fans got of Tropicoqueta as an album, it set the tone well and the bar incredibly high. The album closes with the titular track, an explosive close that sees Karol condense the tropical influences of the album into one final celebration.
Tropicoqueta shows Karol G at an interesting point in her career. When you’ve had a gold run like she had over 2023 and 2024 the question looms, what direction do you go in? Karol has decided to venture inward, celebrating the diversity of Latin music in a project that feels like a love letter to a collective Latin cultural identity that lives and breathes music. From her exploration of her native Colombian sounds like Vallenato to Brazilian Funk Carioca to Rumba, Karol was all in on embracing tradition. While I feel there are some songs that feel like they were leftovers from her past album, this does not detract from Tropicoqueta in its entirety.
If we look back to where Karol was artistically before Mañana Será Bonito and where she is after, the growth is impressive. When you’ve had the biggest album of your career, artists can go in one of two directions. Either you jump back to where you’re comfortable and rest on your laurels, or you try to push yourself further. I think Karol has taken the second option. Tropicoqueta is a dynamic and bold album. The majority of the music is more mature, more observant, showing an artist stepping out of her role as an it girl and into the role of a cultural curator and taste maker.
