Karol G
Mañana Sera Bonito Tour
NRG Stadium
August 29, 2023
If you were allowed the opportunity to choose a celebrity to narrate your life, who would you choose... and why would that choice be Morgan Freeman? That's exactly what Colombian Pop-Reggaeton superstar Karol G did as she presented her fairy tale origin story during the intro of her "Mañana Sera Bonito" tour, which made a stop at NRG Stadium last night here in Houston.
That story revolves around a beautiful mermaid named "Karolina" who lives in a magical place filled with vibrant colors, who spent her days swimming in the sea and flying through the sky, along with her friends Osito the Bear, Señor Caracole (the snail), Tiago the Tiger, Sofia The Snake, and her best friend Bonita La Banana. Eventually, she flies too high and her heart becomes frozen, but then a butterfly helps Karolina reignite her passion and she takes control of a large ferocious chrome shark in order to become: La Bichota.
Which leads all of us to this reality: "Mañana Sea Bonito" (Tomorrow Is Going To Be Beautiful), which is both the name of her latest album as well as her current stadium tour. The original six city tour began in Las Vegas early this month, and then six more dates/stadiums were added afterward. Pre-sale tickets were sold through tour partner Cash App, and most of the dates sold out very quickly.
In interviews with Jimmy Fallon and Wired.com, Karol G explains that a "bichote" is Puerto Rican slang for a "big boss drug kingpin". She adopted the term and flipped it toward the female gender, pushing the meaning to be empowered, proud, and self confident.
Once the animated video intro finished, Karol G rose to the stage dressed in a sheer outfit covered in dazzling rhinestones, wearing large sunglasses and hoop earrings. Her pink hair bounced up and down as she danced and strutted along the long runway stage alongside her dancers. She began her setlist with the song "TQG," a song she sings alongside Shakira on her new album.
"Is today Monday or Tuesday?" she asked out loud en Español with a big smile. "It feels like a Friday!!!" She continued with the songs "Besties," "Mi Cama" and "El Barco" before performing "X Si Volvemos" and crowd favorite "Tusa." Karol was joined on stage by her supremely talented all-female band, who kept the night rolling beautifully.
Karol took some time to read a few of the signs that were help up by her fans, including one that read "Sin ahorros pero en primara fila!" (no more savings, but here in the front row), and one that read "I don't even speak Spanish, but I love you!". As the singer-songwriter walked along the barricade mid-concert, she passed the microphone to one of her male fans in the audience, who then proceeded to propose to his extremely shocked girlfriend. She said "YES"!
Puerto Rican opening act Young Miko then joined Karol on stage for the track "Dispo," and the chemistry and friendship between the two artists was on full display. They sang facing each other and held hands, then Miko turned Karol around and they swayed their bodies close together in a sensual perreo. "Es la unica que me pone nerviosa!" proclaimed Karol (she's the only one that makes me nervous).
A tuba player and an accordion player joined her for the ranchera songs "Gucci Los Paños", "200 Copas", and "Mi Ex Tenia Razon", the last track being one of my favorite songs from her latest album. Although Karol lives in the Latin Urban and Pop Reaggeton space, its so cool to hear her venture out into other genres and beats.
As the evening came to a close, she finished with "Mamiii," "Amargura" and "Provenza". I really wished the roof would have been open in order to experience the same fireworks as others viewed in open air stadiums on this tour, but the lasers, bright lights, yellow and purple confetti, and pyro certainly made for a wonderful ending to an amazing show.
Fans were provided with lighted wristbands that changed colors and flickered throughout the night.
Photo by Jennifer Lake
Mañana sera bonito? Claro que si HDP!
