KG0516

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 & Yostin, Juanka, Brray, Ludacris, Emilee, Nicki Minaj, Wisin & 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 Makinon" 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 & Yostin, Juanka, Brray, Ludacris, Emilee, Nicki Minaj, Wisin & Yandel, Nicky Jam, Ivy Queen, Zion and Alberto Stylee. KG0516 was officially released on March 25, 2021, alongside the album's fifth single, "El Makinon" 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: "My parents signed a contract on my behalf on May 16th, 2006 and that was the first time that my name as Karol G was written."

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 Makinon" alongside "Bichota" were performed at the 28th Annual Billboard Music Awards on May 23, 2021. On May 27, 2023, Karol G performed "El Makinon", "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.

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 Makinon" 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 Spotify 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 to date on the Billboard 200. In addition, the album also accumulated a total of 27.4 million on-demand streams from its songs.

Track listing
All songs produced by Ovy on the Drums, except where noted.