Karol G – ‘Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)’ review: her reign continues

Karol G is having a stellar 2023. Back in March, her fourth studio set ‘Mañana Será Bonito’ became the first all-Spanish-language album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200 chart. Then earlier this month, following an appearance on the Barbie soundtrack, she made history again as the first Latina to headline the iconic Lollapalooza music festival. So, who can blame the Colombian singer-songwriter for dropping album number five right as she begins a triumphant US stadium tour?

As its title suggests, ‘Mañana Será Bonito’ (Bichota Season) is essentially a companion piece to G’s March album. The other, parenthetical part of its title signposts her infectious natural swagger. Explaining the meaning of the term “bichota” when she dropped a reggaeton bop of the same name in 2020, G told Billboard: “[It’s] a moment of feeling sexy, flirtatious, daring, strong, empowered, and to a certain extent, it translates into personal motivation and self-confidence.”

With 10 tracks clocking in at a whisker over half an hour, ‘Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)’ is less substantial than its 52-minute sister album. However, the quality control is still sky-high. G’s plaintive melody dovetails with snappy reggaeton beats on ‘Oki Doki’, she teams with Puerto Rican rising star Young Miko for the female empowerment banger ‘Dispo’, and recruits Mexican singer-rapper Peso Plumo for ‘Qlona’, a shimmering midtempo with a glorious chorus. ‘Una Noche en Medellín (Remix)’, a new version of a viral TikTok hit by Chilean singer Cris Mj, which also features G’s fellow Colombian superstar Ryan Castro, highlights just what a pliable collaborator she can be.

G is equally compelling on ‘Me Tengo Que Ir’, a dreamy duet with alt-R&B singer Kali Uchis, and ‘Mi Ex Tenía Razón’, a tejano-flecked tribute to Mexican-American icon Selena. G’s current hit single ‘S91’, which features lyrics inspired by a Bible verse the singer learned from her mother, is an emotive Latin trap banger driven by G’s lovely supple vocals.

In fact, the only moment that gives a hint of feasting on scraps is final track ‘Provenza (Remix)’. Here, Dutch DJ-producer Tiësto reimagines the breezy Afrobeats of G’s 2022 hit ‘Provenza’ as a thumping EDM anthem. It doesn’t really fit with everything else on the album, but it’s still a lot of fun and further underlines the singer’s formidable range. On this evidence, the sun won’t be setting on Karol G’s “bichota season” any time soon.

Details

• Release date: August 11
• Record label: Bichota Records LLC

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