{"id":7565,"date":"2026-08-23T15:35:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T15:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7565"},"modified":"2026-08-23T15:35:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T15:35:47","slug":"review-latin-music-superstar-delivers-the-pop-concert-spectacle-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7565","title":{"rendered":"Review: Latin music superstar delivers the pop concert spectacle of the year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Karol G brought the tropics to Levi\u2019s Stadium on Friday, heating up a capacity crowd of 50,000 exuberant fans on a very chilly night at the home of the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n

Read more Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing<\/a><\/p>\n

And it would be way too easy to dub the result as one of the best Latin pop concerts of recent years. Instead, we need to go way bigger \u2014 like Karol G\u2019s decadent, over-the-top Viajando Por el Mundo Tropitour (translation: Traveling the World Tropical Tour) itself \u2014 and call it one of the finest pop shows, of any language or musical style, to grace this region in a very long time.<\/p>\n

The show that fans witnessed on Friday \u2014 the first half of a sold-out two-night stand in Santa Clara that will collectively draw some 100,000 concertgoers \u2014 was a deliriously great offering from a woman who now clearly ranks, in terms of talent, ability and popularity, among the very best in the business. Seriously, you could stack Karol G up against anyone \u2014 Beyonce, Taylor, Gaga, Bad Bunny, etc. \u2014 and I wouldn\u2019t bet against this 35-year-old Colombian superstar, who became the first Latina to headline the Coachella music festival back in April.<\/p>\n

This brilliant, diversely appealing performance succeeded on basically every level that a modern-day pop spectacle can \u2014 it was smart, sexy, well-paced, equally entertaining in terms of visuals and sounds, featured an ingenious stage design and, most importantly, was utterly dominated by a superstar who is loaded with talent, personality and charisma.<\/p>\n

And I walked away from this show believing that Karol G should absolutely be the one to follow in Bad Bunny\u2019s footsteps \u2014 made at the very same stadium earlier in the year \u2014 and be the next Latin artist to headline a Super Bowl Halftime Show. (If that comes to pass, it will actually represent Karol G\u2019s second appearance at the big game, since she also made a cameo during Bad Bunny\u2019s set in 2026.)<\/p>\n

Becky G, a rising star on the Latin pop scene who hails from Inglewood, opened the show with her own set that drew strongly from her fifth studio album, this year\u2019s \u201cBaraja Bendita.\u201d Grooving alongside eight dancers, Becky G \u2014 who, despite the shared \u201cG,\u201d is of no relation to the headliner \u2014 gave every indication that she will continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I am here, it feels like home,\u201d she said to the crowd. \u201cDon\u2019t forget me. I\u2019m Becky G.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not likely to happen, especially if she keeps dropping albums as entertaining as her latest platter.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

It was then time for the main event \u2014 Karol G \u2014 who took the stage following a lengthy countdown on the massive screens. As we approached all zeros on the timer, the crowd grew in excitement until, finally, the star of the evening took the ridiculously large stage and fans erupted in a way that may well have shook nearby Milpitas.<\/p>\n

Working in a huge tropical setting, approaching the size of some of the smaller Pacific islands, Karol G gyrated among more dancers than one could easily count \u2014 mainly because they just kept right on moving in ways that made one feel like you might accidentally count them twice \u2014 as she opened the show with \u201cLatina Foreva.\u201d<\/p>\n

From that powerful dance-pop anthem, celebrating the culture and sensuality of Latin women, Karol G jumped right into the fast, bouncy \u201cUn gatito me llam\u00f3\u201d (translation: \u201cA kitten called me\u201d). She danced about in front of a huge tropical cave-like backdrop that featured two large screens and musicians rocking the beats and grooves from both sides of a stage. The setup dominated at least a third of the stadium, yet the stage didn\u2019t stop there. There were three catwalks shooting out into the crowd, eventually coming together to create two different pits where fans could get up-close views of the action.<\/p>\n

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But, again, the stage didn\u2019t stop there. There was also a walkway from the tip of the catwalks that led to a secondary stage \u2014 one unlike any I\u2019d ever seen before in 30-plus years of reviewing shows \u2014 erected at the very back of the field. (And, yes, I am going to make you wait a bit for more details on that one.)<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The first two songs hailed from Karol G\u2019s fifth album, 2025\u2019s \u201cTropicoqueta,\u201d which is the one that this tour is built around. In all, the star would devote a baker\u2019s dozen of tunes on the 32-song setlist to this upbeat tropical music gem, which incorporates reggaeton, Latin pop, cumbia, salsa, vallenato and more. And that material delivered some ideal platforms for Karol G to highlight her impressive dance moves and powerhouse vocals, as well as for the special effects crew to flex their muscles via some stellar pyrotechnics, dramatic lighting and cool props (such as the tank-sized parrot Karol G boarded to sing \u201cPapasito\u201d).<\/p>\n

Yet, some of the best moments of the night came via material from Karol G\u2019s newly released sixth album, \u201cNo Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto,\u201d which contributed a quartet of songs to the mix. The record \u2014 which translates to \u201cI don\u2019t regret feeling so much\u201d \u2014 boosts a vastly different feel than its upbeat predecessor, leaning more into melodrama, broken hearts and feelings in powerful ways. Not coincidentally, these selections \u2014 especially the stunning vulnerable breakup ballad \u201cSi lo ven\u201d \u2014 just reverberated with emotion through the cavernous stadium.<\/p>\n

One of the show\u2019s greatest strengths was its ability to volley back and forth between spectacle and intimacy, moving from big dance number productions with big-dollar effects to songs allowing Karol G to showcase her personality and connect with the crowd. She\u2019d accomplish the latter through hugs, direct eye contact, empowering statements to fans and, in general, just taking the time to make us all feel like we mattered to her.<\/p>\n

It was in those moments, above and beyond the firework-fueled scenes, that my jaw would drop a bit and I\u2019d realize that Karol G is a truly elite performer.<\/p>\n

And then there moments when I\u2019d be thinking \u201cWhat is going on here?\u201d \u2014 but not necessarily in a bad way, but more in a \u201cI didn\u2019t see that coming\u201d fashion. That was definitely the case when Karol G finally made it out to the secondary stage at the other end of the stadium floor and we found that it was not actually a stage but \u2014 surprise! \u2014 a shallow pool of water.<\/p>\n

Thus began one of the more erotically charged segments ever seen during a mainstream concert \u2014 and not in a comical Madonna kind of way \u2014 as Karol G turned 50,000 fans into voyeurs as she began to softly, slowly bath herself (in full costume, it seems prudent to point out) while crooning \u201cEl Barco.\u201d She\u2019d eventually kneel down into the water, where her female attendants\/dancers rushed over to help bathe her.<\/p>\n

Then the rest of the dance crew joined in and the scene turned to a splish-splash party, as the dancers frolicked about, touching and spanking while \u201cBandida entrenada\u201d blazed on. The whole segment had a distinct siren-call element to it.<\/p>\n

Having dried herself off, Karol G would return to the mainstage for the final act of this five-act production, closing down the first night at Levi\u2019s Stadium with \u201cBichota,\u201d \u201cTusa,\u201d \u201cColeccionando heridas\u201d and other fan favorites.<\/p>\n

Karol G setlist:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. \u201cLATINA FOREVA\u201d
\n2. \u201cUn gatito me llam\u00f3\u201d
\n3. \u201cQLONA\u201d
\n4. OKI DOKI
\n5. \u201cT\u00e1 OK\u201d
\n6. \u201cS91\u201d
\n7. \u201cTropicoqueta\u201d
\n8. \u201cPapasito\u201d
\n9. \u201cAmiga M\u00eda\u201d
\n10. \u201cEse hombre es malo\u201d
\n11. \u201cMAMIII\u201d
\n12. \u201cTe llevas To\u201d
\n13. \u201cAh\u00ed\u201d
\n14. \u201cAlguien que te amaba\u201d
\n15. \u201cSi lo ven\u201d
\n16. \u201cEL BARCO\u201d
\n17. \u201cVerano rosa\u201d
\n18. \u201cBbY WOW\u201d
\n19. \u201cIvonny bonita\u201d
\n20. \u201cPineapple\u201d
\n21. \u201cGAT\u00daBELA\u201d
\n22. \u201cAMARGURA\u201d
\n23. \u201cTu perfume\u201d
\n24. \u201cDile Luna\u201d
\n25. \u201cBandida entrenada\u201d
\n26. \u201cOJOS FERRARI\u201d
\n27. \u201cBICHOTA\u201d
\n28. \u201cTusa\u201d
\n29. \u201cColeccionando heridas\u201d
\n30. \u201cSi antes te hubiera conocido\u201d
\n31. \u201c200 COPAS\u201d
\n32. \u201cPROVENZA\u201d<\/p>\n

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Karol G proves she’s one of the best in the business with incredible concert tour stop at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nReview: Latin music superstar delivers the pop concert spectacle of the year - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7565\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review: Latin music superstar delivers the pop concert spectacle of the year - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Karol G proves she's one of the best in the business with incredible concert tour stop at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7565\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-23T15:35:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7565#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7565\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Review: Latin music superstar delivers the pop concert spectacle of the year\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-23T15:35:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7565\"},\"wordCount\":1343,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7565#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/0ec49830dc26f48a70cffe1a0f721594-scaled.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Things To Do\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7565#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7565\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7565\",\"name\":\"Review: Latin music superstar delivers the pop concert spectacle of the year - 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