Karol G says she’s proud to have built an international career on her own terms and in her own language.
In a new interview with Vogue México Y Latinoamérica, the Colombian hitmaker opened up about her approach to making music in English, explaining that while she’s open to the idea, it’s not something she feels she needs to do to continue her success.
“For me, everything has to feel like it’s something that comes from my heart,” Karol G said. “When I made ‘Don’t Be Shy’ with Tiësto, it was because I fell in love with the song; I loved the lyrics and how it sounded in English. But I don’t feel like it’s something I need to do to achieve the success I want in my career.”
The Grammy-winning artist revealed she’s received multiple offers to record English-language projects, but turned them down because she “didn’t identify with” them. Karol G’s latest album does feature some bilingual moments, including “Papasito,” which is partially in English, but she said that song still started from a place rooted in her culture.
“The first version of ‘Papasito’ was in Spanish,” she explained. “I thought that if I was ever going to release a song in English, it had to sound like Karol G. A song in English with an accent.”
While she isn’t shutting the door on more English tracks in the future, Karol G emphasized that her biggest joy is seeing her Spanish-language music resonate around the world.
“I’m not closed to possibilities,” she said. “But what makes me happy is that the world is getting to know me through my native language, through the music that represents me.”