Amidst mermaids and sharks, and a sea of fans dressed like Barbies for the occasion, Karol G lit up MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — five miles west of New York City — on Thursday (Sep. 7).
It was her first of two nights at the 82,500-capacity venue as part of her Mañana Será Bonito stadium tour, which kicked off Aug. 11 in Las Vegas and still has upcoming dates that include Chicago (Sep. 15), Atlanta (Sep. 21) and Boston (Sep. 28).
“Every single person here tonight came with the intention of having the coolest night of their lives,” the Colombian superstar said, shortly after opening the show to a whooping crowd.
And La Bichota did not disappoint.
Her electrifying show included an all-female band, a crew of nearly 20 dancers, an exciting set design and neon-hued laser lights, a story narrated by the legendary Morgan Freeman and a surprise guest appearance by Ryan Castro.
But it was Karol herself — with her stage presence, her combination of sweetness, sensuality and mischievousness, her feminine power, her ability to connect with the audience and her great vocal prowess to perform all her hits live — that kept the entire stadium eating at the palm of her hand.
Produced by Live Nation, the Mañana Será Bonito Tour is named after Karol G’s landmark album that debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. The 17-song set became her first No. 1 on the chart and was also the first Spanish-language album by a woman to top the chart. It follows her 2022 $trip Love arena tour, which became the highest-grossing U.S. tour by a Latin woman in history, grossing $69.9 million from 33 shows, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
Here are the 10 más bonito (most beautiful) moments of Karol G’s MetLife Stadium show, day one, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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Barbies, Bichotas, Tattoos … Oh My
It was Bichota Season at MetLife and beyond. From arriving at Penn Station, to riding the New Jersey Transit, and approaching the venue, Karol G fans were spotted in abundance. The common thread among them besides Karol G merch? The pink. We had not seen so many pink-donning people since the release of Barbie, the soundtrack of which Karol G contributed to. Another interesting sighting was the Karol G fan tattoos! We spotted a handful of women with a barbed-wire heart inked on their shoulder, just like their music idol’s.
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Morgan Freeman Storyteller
Morgan Freeman’s voice played an important role throughout Karol G’s concert as a key storyteller. The revered actor recounts the tale of Carolina, a pink-haired mermaid whose life once consisted of joyful sea swims and skyward flights, until her world plunged into darkness. In her search for solace amidst her anguish, Carolina ascends to the sky, causing both her heart and the surrounding world to freeze. A rare appearance by Freeman, this animated narrative seemed to reference Karol G’s heartbreak from a couple years ago. She aptly kicked off with the opening kiss-off song “TQG” and later she followed with the more recent hit “Mi Ex Tenía Razón.”
“There’s a Bichota inside every single one of you. You just have to embrace your authentic self — just like Carolina did,” said the actor at one point.
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¡Chicas banda!
Adding to the enchantment, La Bichota brought girl power to the forefront by assembling an all-female cast of musicians, including a drummer, a pianist, a flute player and a guitarist. Together, these chicas banda infused the night with an extra dose of rock star energy, while showcasing the prowess of talented women in the music industry. They turned the stadium into a haven of music, where their exhilarating musicianship transcended the vastness of the venue.
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Intimacy at the Stadium
Karol G has the rare gift of making a massive concert feel intimate — transforming a colossal venue into a close musical haven. Direct audience interaction (“You’re going to make me cry!,” she said in Spanish at one point as the roaring ovation wouldn’t seemingly end), storytelling and vulnerability combined to create one unforgettable night. She selected emotionally resonant moments in the setlist, like when she sang “Ocean,” that contributed to this sense of connection. And fans absolutely loved it.
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¡Arriba México!
In a captivating culmination to her performance, Karol G seamlessly ventured into the realm of Mexican music, delivering a powerful rendition of songs such as “200 Copas” and “Gucci Los Paños” in quick succession. To enhance this traditional-styled genre, she extended a warm invitation to additional female musicians, including a skilled tuba player and an accordionist — hallmark instruments of the south-of-the-border genre. This bold departure showcased Karol G’s extraordinary vocal versatility — and no Auto-Tune — a testament to her ability to transition effortlessly from tender ballads like “El Barco” to the resounding beats of reggaetón hits like “Mi Cama” and “Punto G.” To embrace Karol going regional Mexican, an abundance of fans rocked pink cowboy hats, combining the signature style of the genre and that of the superstar herself.
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Colombian & Latin Pride
Among the tens of thousands of fans, immigrants or descendants of immigrants, folks came to the show from all over Latin America. Karol called out to them country by country, and the stadium shook each time with the overwhelming response. But the loudest screams were undoubtedly from her fellow Colombians, one of whom gave her a flag from her country, which she proudly wrapped around herself.
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A Special Guest
Throughout the Mañana Será Bonito Tour, Karol G has had a series of surprise guests, such as Quevedo, Young Miko and Bad Gyal. On Thursday, her fellow compatriot Ryan Castro was the chosen one, and the crowd greeted him with one of the biggest cheers of the night. Together, Karol and Ryan got the whole place grooving to the rhythm of “Una Noche en Medellín.”
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Mermaids & Sharks
The dazzling set design for Mañana Será Bonito included an arched backdrop, with huge screens that interspersed the Freeman-narrated animated story with marine images allegorical to the album’s cover design, as well as live shots of the show. Large props — such as a shark and a large rock, platforms, a long catwalk, fire flares, laser lights and light bracelets handed out to attendees — brought everything together for an immersive experience.
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The Power of La Bichota
With a confidence nurtured by her years on stage, and the charisma and sweetness that characterize her, Karol exuded pure feminine power. From her decision to be accompanied by an all-female band, to her interactions with her fans, Karol is all about girl power. At one point she read aloud some banners brought by attendees. “I lost 20 pounds to come to your show,” said one from a woman, to which the star responded with wise words of self-love: “Well, mami, if you did it for your health and because you wanted it, good for you!”
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A Young Fan
One of the most beautiful moments was when Karol invited a 7-year-old girl to come on stage, after seeing her passionately singing “Gucci Los Paños” from the front rows with her mother. The little girl, named Natalia, was received with great sweetness by the singer, who asked her if she wanted to perform it with her in front of the excited crowd. Without hesitation, Natalia sang the chorus with shining eyes and a big smile. Karol made the audience laugh by mischievously pulling the microphone away from her as she reached one of the swear words in the chorus. It was an unforgettable moment — surely for the girl, but also for all who were present.