Meet Karol G, Colombia’s Taylor Swift

This helped to boost interest in her 2023-24 sell-out, global Mañana Será Bonito Tour. This grossed $307m in ticket sales. And while that figure is dwarfed by the $2bn achieved by Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Karol G’s earnings were the highest for a female Latin artist.

Carlos Balado, a professor at OBS Business School in Barcelona, analyses the economic impact of music concerts. He says that both Karol G and Taylor Swift have benefited from the increased popularity of going to such a big live event.

“There’s a growing trend where the public considers that part of their normal spending has to go towards concerts,” he adds.

Leila Cobo, chief content officer for Latin/Español at US music magazine Billboard, which is also known for its music charts, says Karol G has helped to put Colombian music on the map.

“I think music is the biggest ambassador for Colombia. I really do,” she says. “And Karol G has tapped into this female Latin female fanbase who really didn’t have someone like her. They wanted someone relatable, fun, sexy, had cool songs, but wasn’t completely over the top.

“And reggaeton is super danceable, it’s super consumable, it’s super youth oriented,” adds Ms Cobo, who is the author of a book on Latin music.