Is Karol G from Brazil? Nationality explored as singer enthrals with dazzling NFL half-time show in Sao Paulo

Carolina Giraldo Navarro, also known as Karol G, recently performed during the halftime show of the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, September 5.

Her performance, which lasted for less than 10 minutes, lit up the stage with fan favourites like Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido, Un Gatito Me Llamó, and Papasito.

KAROL G X NFL pic.twitter.com/nKhQ4ppYFW

— ؘ (@picskarolg) September 6, 2025

Her fans took to social media in a storm, with many praising the 34-year-old's performance.

"Where do we sign the petition to give the Super Bowl halftime show to Karol G," one user wrote.

"NFL made a great choice with Karol G for this game #KCvsLAC," another user commented.

"karol g performing at the halftime for today's game like yessss that's my girl," another user mentioned.

"the way Karol G’s performance is more enjoyable than the actual game," another user said.

However, many critics questioned her performance, pointing out that she sang in Spanish, a language not widely spoken in Brazil, where Portuguese is the primary language. It is worth noting that Karol G was born in Medellín, Colombia.

"1. She's from Colombia, 2. No one in Brazil knew who she was, 3. How could the NFL f**k this up so badly?" one user wrote.

"This is Spanish not Portuguese. No one speaks or understands Spanish in Brazil," another user said.

"It has all my soul and heart": Karol G on her NFL performance

Hours before her show on Friday night, Karol G took to her official Instagram handle to express happiness about returning to the stage.

"Today is a very special day! After a long time, I return to one of my favorite places in the world, where, no matter what, I feel completely happy: The stage! The sacred place where I connect with you. Performing tonight has many special meanings in my life for different reasons, and there wouldn’t be enough space in this caption to explain it all… I just hope you really enjoy it, and in the name of God, I hope everything turns out incredible," Karol wrote.

She further described the intense preparation that went into the performance, stating that she had put her "heart and soul" into it, and further expressed hope that it would go well, especially considering how "incredibly hard" her team had worked alongside her.

"It has all my soul and heart, and there’s a wonderful team of people by my side who worked incredibly hard as well."

Born on February 14, 1991, Karol G began gaining attention at the age of 14 when she appeared on the Colombian version of X Factor in 2005. According to the BBC, after her debut in the reality singing competition, she moved to New York City to live with her aunt. Just as she was about to give up on singing, her father encouraged her to keep going.

Her breakthrough came with the single Ahora Me Llama (2017), a collaboration with Bad Bunny. She continued to release hit music, including chart-topping hits like Tusa, a collaboration with Nicki Minaj.

According to Billboard, the song debuted at No. 1 on its Hot Latin Songs chart, and also became the first Latin song by all women artists to reach a billion streams on Spotify.

Meanwhile, her recent album Tropicoqueta, which was released this June, is "set out to represent the many facets of my Latin culture," according to Karol G.