KG0516 is the third studio album by Colombian singer Karol G. It was released on March 25, 2021, through Universal Music Latino. Comprising sixteen tracks, the album is primarily a reggaeton record and features guest appearances by Mariah Angeliq, Camilo, Anuel AA, J Balvin, Nathy Peluso, Ozuna, Yandar &amp; Yostin, Juanka, Brray, Ludacris, Emilee, Nicki Minaj, Wisin &amp; Yandel, Nicky Jam, Ivy Queen, Zion and Alberto Stylee.
"KG0516" was supported by seven singles: "Tusa" with Nicki Minaj, "Ay, Dios Mio!", "Bichota", "Location" with Anuel AA and J Balvin, "El Makinón" with Mariah Angeliq, "El Barco" and "200 Copas".
The album was met with generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted inside the top twenty on the US "Billboard" 200 and atop the US Top Latin Albums.
The recipient of several accolades, "KG0516" received a Grammy nomination for Best Música Urbana at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming her first Grammy nomination. Its songs also garnered three nominations at the 21st and 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy Award for Best Reggaeton Performance for "Bichota".
Background.
Following the release of her second studio album in 2019, "Ocean", Karol G released "China" with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna and J Balvin.
On November 6, 2019, Karol G announced the release for "Tusa" with Nicki Minaj through her social media accounts. The song was released the following day on November 7, 2019, as the album's lead single. On April 1, 2019, "Follow" with Anuel AA was released as stand alone single. Following the success of "Tusa", Karol G stated she was ready to embark on a world tour, but due to the varying international lockdowns, as safety against COVID-19, these plans were momentarily postponed after just one show.
"Ay, Dios Mio!" was announced and released on July 9, 2020, as the second single. On August 17, 2020, Karol G joined Ozuna and Myke Towers on a remix for "Caramelo". On October 23, 2020, "Bichota" was released as the album's third single. "Location" alongside Anuel AA and J Balvin was released on February 11, 2021, as the fourth and last single prior to the release of the album.
On March 16, 2021, Karol G announced via a half-minute video the release date of the album alongside its title, while the cover art, which was photographed by David LaChapelle, was released the next day. The album's track list was revealed the following week, featuring guest appearances from Mariah Angeliq, Camilo, Anuel AA, J Balvin, Nathy Peluso, Ozuna, Yandar &amp; Yostin, Juanka, Brray, Ludacris, Emilee, Nicki Minaj, Wisin &amp; Yandel, Nicky Jam, Ivy Queen, Zion and Alberto Stylee. "KG0516" was officially released on March 25, 2021, alongside the album's fifth single, "El Makinón" with Mariah Angeliq.
Title.
The title "KG0516" references a combination of digits, dates, and initials, recalling the moment Karol G and her parents signed her first major contract under her stage name.
In an interview with "Variety", Karol G explained how the name came to be:
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Release and promotion.
The album was released on March 25, 2021, through Universal Music Latino. It was released on CD, vinyl, digital download and streaming.
"Tusa" was performed for the first time on December 8, 2019, at Pixel 4's Motion Sense Concert Series. On January 10, 2020, Karol G made her debut performance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", with "Tusa". On August 13, 2020, "Ay, Dios Mío!" was performed for the first time at the 17th Annual Premios Juventud. On September 10, an acoustic live version of the song was uploaded on YouTube. "Bichota" was performed for the first time on November 8, 2020, at the 27th Annual MTV Europe Music Awards. On November 19, 2020, at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards, "Tusa" was performed. On March 24, 2021, "El Barco" was performed for the first time on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". "El Makinón" alongside "Bichota" were performed at the 28th Annual "Billboard" Music Awards on May 23, 2021. On May 27, 2021, Karol G performed "El Makinón", "200 Copas" and "Contigo Voy a Muerte", the very first for the latter two, at the Tiny Desk Concerts. "200 Copas" was performed at the 18th Annual Premios Juventud on July 22, 2021. In collaboration with "Billboard" and energy drink Rockstar, Karol G performed "Bichota", "Ay, Dios Mío!", "El Barco", and "DVD" for the Summer Spotlight concert series on September 15, 2021. On October 27, 2021, Karol G embarked on the Bichota Tour, which lasted all through June 21, 2022. Multiple songs from "KG0516", among others, were performed. On March 23, 2022, "El Barco" was performed at the "Billboard" Women in Music. From September 6, 2022 to November 2, 2022, Karol G embarked on the Strip Love Tour, which became the highest grossing tour by a Latin female act in the United States, late surpassed by her own Mañana Será Bonito Tour. On February 19, 2023, Karol G was the headlining act for Viña Del Mar International Song Festival, where multiple songs from "KG0516" were performed.
Singles.
"Tusa" with Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj was released on November 7, 2019, as the album's lead single. The song reached the top spot in the US "Billboard" Hot Latin Songs and reached the top 50 of the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, at number 42. It was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
"Ay, Dios Mío!" was released on July 9, 2020, as the album's second single. It peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also peaked inside the top 5 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs.
"Bichota" was released as the album's third single on October 23, 2020. It reached the top 80 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, at number 72. It also peaked inside the top 3 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs. It won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Reggaeton Performance at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
"Location" was released on February 11, 2021, as the album's fourth single. It reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs at number 6.
"El Makinón" was released on March 25, 2021, as the album's fifth single. It reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs.
"El Barco" was released on May 11, 2021, as the album's sixth single. It reached the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs.
"200 Copas" was released as the album's seventh and final single on July 13, 2021. It reached the top 30 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs.
Critical reception.
"KG0516" was praised by Thom Jurek from "AllMusic", who praised Giraldo's ability to blend in multiple genres, stating, ""KG0516" establishes Karol G as a visionary; she pushes hard at urbano's boundaries, blending them into the pop multiverse, only to bring the album's many dimensions to heel under reggaeton's dominance."
Commercial performance.
During the first day of release on Spotify, "KG0516" broke the record for biggest debut for a Spanish-language album by a woman. The album also debuted at number one on the Top Albums Debut Global Chart.
United States.
"KG0516" debuted at number one on the US Top Latin Albums chart, earning 24,000 album-equivalent units (including 4,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week. The album also debuted at number 20 on the US "Billboard" 200 and number one on the US Latin Rhythm Albums charts respectively. This became Karol G's first number one debut on the Latin charts and her highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 at that time. In addition, the album also accumulated a total of 27.4 million on-demand streams from its songs, the biggest for a female Latin album at the time.
Track listing.
All songs produced by Ovy on the Drums, except where noted.
Charts.
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References.
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