There are many artists having what could easily be considered a “good run.”
And then there’s Karol G, who kicked off her latest headlining stadium tour — Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour — with the first of two sold-out nights at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Friday. Loosen your hips, cue the fireworks, pyro, and ready the giant guacamaya. No for real, she sings atop one.
The Colombian singer has continued to define new heights for herself since winning Best New Artist at the Latin Grammys in 2018. Nearly a decade into her career, she made history repeatedly: She’s become the first Latina artist to [insert incredible achievement in pop music here], from becoming the first female artist to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart with a primarily Spanish-language album to headlining Coachella to holding 11 Guinness World Records for her record-breaking streaming numbers, tour sales and other milestones.
She’s captained a handful of back-to-back international, headlining tours in the past five years – all preparing her for this, her largest, most intentional procession yet. The opening show at Soldier Field kicked off a trek that’ll take her to 63 stadiums across North and Latin America, as well as Europe through mid-2027.
For just under two and a half hours, after an opening set from Elena Rose, Karol and her troupe of no less than 20 dancers delivered a proud, ambitious and emotional production on a massive stage reimagined as the Colombian mountainside and rainforest that magnified her historic Coachella outing. Her multilevel “cave club” came alive through four acts telling the story of a woman reborn and buoyed on a mission of self-discovery by her ancestors and the land.
The scene at Soldier Field was awash in the colors of the sunset: bright oranges, exuberant pinks, glittering golds and huge floral prints. An intergenerational fanbase from all over the Latin American diaspora, folks arrived in their dancing shoes (for which, seemingly, no heel was too high for the occasion or walk across Museum Campus) and outfits that ranged from their country’s flags fashioned as skirts to recreations of the artist’s feathered sunglasses by Chrishabana.
A celebration of, not only Karol’s influence but cultura that binds millions, she opened her set with “Latina Foreva” in a fierce declaration of the evening’s agenda, before rolling right along into favorites including “Un Gatito Me Llamo,” “Qlona” and “El Makinon.” It felt almost ironic that her tour would start the week when United States congressmen debated the meaning of “Latina power” in a House subcommittee meeting. If you needed a lesson, Karol came equipped.
As Act II was introduced by a pre-recorded vignette featuring famed Mexican-American actor Edward James Olmos, both he and Karol spoke passionately about the commitment to family, friends, work, ritual and joy. Later, an all-female mariachi troupe joined for a handful of songs including the traditional “Negrita de Mis Pesares,” plus Karol’s hits “Ese Hombre Es Malo,” “Mamiii” (which she made into a global smash with Becky G),” and “200 Copas.” There were also indelible fan interactions, like a lucky couple who was promised tickets to another Karol concert in Paris for their honeymoon. One thing was clear: being a tropicoqueta runs deep.
Sure, some transitions were a bit clunky. At one point attendees questioned if the electricity went out, but a few moments of silence quickly gave way to thumping congas, horns, and wood flutes from a live band that only seemed to grow as they played cumbias and porros. As dancers writhed and contorted themselves in an elongated sequence that took over a satellite stage disguised as a lagoon (ticketholders, you may be in the splash zone just FYI) and a DJ spun additional hits like “A Ella” and “Provenza,” Karol readied herself for the final act.
Dressed head-to-toe in bejeweled orchids, she addressed and thanked her audience again. “Being Latino is the coolest thing in the world,” Karol said in Spanish to uproarious applause, before adding that life is really about the simple things.
She flexed unexpected vocal acrobatics on “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” and “Viajando Por El Mundo” to bring it all home. As dancers ran across the stage carrying kites and flags of all the countries in the Americas, confetti fell from cannons onto the crowd. At the end, she debuted her new single, “Matadora.”
Confident, strong, sexy, secure, full of heart, Karol showed that being a “bichota” and “tropicoqueta” is a global movement. Find your own guacamaya and get on board.
Set List:
“Latina Foreva”
“Un gatito me llamo”
“Oki Doki”
“Ta Ok”
“QLONA”
“El Makinon”
“S91”
“Tropicoqueta”
“Papasito”
“Ese hombre es Malo” (Mariachi also performed “Negrita de mis Pesares” and “El son de la negra”)
“200 Copas”
“Mamiii”
“Ivonny bonita”
“Pineapple”
“Gatubela” (interpolated with “Rompe”)
“Amargura”
“Tu perfume”
“Dile Luna”
“Bandida Entrenada”
“Ojos Ferrari”
“TQG”
“Bichota” (Salsa version)
“Tusa” (Salsa version)
“Milagros”
“Coleccionando Heridas”
“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
“Viajando Por El Mundo”