Karol G Issues Apology After ‘+57’ Lyrics Are Blamed for Sexualizing Young Girls

Karol G has taken responsibility for the negative criticism of the lyrics in her latest “+57” single, a song she shares with fellow Colombian hitmakers Maluma, Feid, J Balvin, Ryan Castro and Blessd. Shortly after the song was released on Nov. 7, Rolling Stone En Español critics pointed to one line in the song they claimed “perpetuated the sexualization of minors.”

Karol’s boyfriend Feid, Maluma and Castro share the verse that says, “A baddie since she was 14 / When she walks into the club, you can feel her energy.” On Monday, Karol issued a lengthy apologized on her Instagram stories where she described feeling “very affected” by the negative reaction.

More from Variety

ADVERTISEMENT

In her response, Karol said she cares about her fans and her people, and that she is constantly searching for ways and projects to “positively impact the lives of many people.” She continued, writing that she would assume responsibility for the negative reaction to her latest single.

“In this case, unfortunately, the lyrics in the song were taken out of context,” she wrote in Spanish. “None of the things said in the song are written in the way people have claimed, nor were sung with that perspective, but I hear you, and I take responsibility and I realize that I have so much to learn. I feel very affected and I’m sorry from the heart.”

Karol concluded the note by thanking her fans for celebrating the song with her and said she appreciated the other artists on the song. “I want to keep in my heart the beautiful energy we worked with that day!”

At the time of this article’s publication, J Balvin and Feid have both shared Karol’s response on socials, sharing their support for the singer. “Queen, we are with you,” wrote Balvin. “You have given us so much glory, so this doesn’t reduce your greatness. Plus that song is ours, so we’re going to support you unconditionally.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.