17 years ago
Billboard
, one of the most famous magazines on the music scene and which has created the chart system by which successes are measured in the United States, decided to rethink the way in which it recognized the talent of women in the industry.
To do this, it created specific awards that, each year, name the most outstanding women of the moment in different categories: emerging stars, international stars, icons... and above all the woman of the year, the most outstanding artist in music.
They are delivered at the beginning of March, coinciding with March 8, Women's Day (in the US, all of March is considered women's month).
And this year, for the first time since they were founded in 2007, a Latina woman has been considered the most important artist of the year: Karol G.
On the night of March 6, the Colombian came out on stage at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles (California, USA) to offer the best performance of the night, surrounded by 13 women who played and sang live with her
Amargura
, and also to collect her award, tremendously grateful, and gave a speech entirely in Spanish to the audience that cheered her on.
This award has weight in the industry and, before her, it has been received, among others, by Madonna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Pink, Katy Perry, Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo, in 2023 SZA and, the only one who has repeated, in 2011 and 2014, Taylor Swift.
More information
Karol G: the girl from Medellín is now the woman of the year
Just turned 33, Colombian Carolina Giraldo Navarro is one of the biggest stars on the musical scene, not only Latin or American, but also international.
“I have to start by telling you that for many, many years I felt very disappointed by the fact of being a woman,” admitted Karol G. “I found myself along the way with so many rejections and so many lost opportunities for that reason that I wondered why He was not born a man to exploit all this, that love, that desire and the passion he felt for music, all the desire,” he began his speech.
“It was assumed that because I was a woman I couldn't achieve it and for a long time I believed that story, I believed that it wasn't for me, because of so many times they told me I couldn't achieve it.
And I always think about the number of people who leave their dreams behind,” said the artist, known as
La Bichota
, while her followers chanted her name to applause.
Karol G, upon arrival at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music, held at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, on March 6, 2024.ALLISON DINNER (EFE)
Then, explained the one from Medellín, she realized that she herself had to change, and that she was going to do it.
“I was not going to allow being a woman to be an obstacle or define my capabilities, but rather it was going to be my strength, my motive, my reason,” explained the artist while she received the award from another successful Colombian, actress Sofía Vergara. .
Karol G gave the three keys thanks to which he has been climbing his way to success and has achieved, among others, this award.
“First, I stopped trying to be perfect for everyone, I accepted myself as a person;
In reality, what I did was something that took me a long time: to accept myself as a woman, as a person, to stop hiding all the things that for people were a defect and that are probably now all my qualities," acknowledged the artist, who now faces a great tour with 27 concerts in Latin America and 18 in Europe (among them, four at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid).
In many she has already sold out all the tickets.
Kylie Minogue, upon arrival at the Billboard Women in Music Awards, in March 2024, where she was recognized as an Icon. Mario Anzuoni (REUTERS)
“Two, I completely ignored the comments of 'she owes it to this one' or 'it wouldn't have been if it weren't for...' or 'she made it because she recorded with that one.'
And stop looking for justification for the achievements and successes of a woman.
"One does not have to prove anything to anyone when in one's heart one knows what one has killed to achieve everything one has to achieve in life," he said, loud and clear.
“And three, I understood that it was not the respect of others that I had to earn: it was respect for myself, to the point that I saw myself and admired the person I had become.
Study, work on my voice, on my physical skills, be clear about what I wanted to communicate, how I wanted to connect with people, improve my lyrics, spend many hours in the studio, really prepare myself to do better and when I saw, I would give myself: how hard, how big.”
With an audience that fell into applause, she assured: “I look back and feel very at peace with myself because I followed my heart.
Follow your heart.
"I don't see pain, I see a lot of opportunities created, I see learning, I see a lot of hearts."
The recent winner of the Grammy for best urban genre album (the first woman to win that award), who also won five microphones at the Billboard Latin Music Awards a few months ago thanks to her album
Mañana will be nice
, wanted “ thank the people, all the women who work every day, those who pave the way,” and also those who work with her, her team.
“Just as I did it, all of you, all of you, can do it safely.
Never, ever, ever give another person the authority to say about your own decisions, to say that something you are doing is good, is bad, has value, or has no value.
No one can value you as a person, as a woman or as a professional.
"He who works for it, he who sweats it, is the one who gets it."
Young Miko poses for photographers upon arrival at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music, held at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, on March 6, 2024. Mario Anzuoni (REUTERS)
In addition to La Bichota, there were other recognitions, such as Kylie Minogue as a global icon, who thanked her mother, as well as Victoria Monét, who won the emerging star award.
The Puerto Rican Young Miko was awarded the Impacto award, which recognizes new signings in music.
Ice Spice, Charli XCX, PinkPantheress, Tems and Maren Morris also received awards.
The best group of the year went to the Korean NewJeans, who are triumphing within K-pop.
The Brazilian Luísa Sonza, the Italian Annalisa and the Filipino Sarah Geronimo were considered global icons.