Karol G was born Carolina Giraldo Navarro in 1991 Medellin, Columbia. She is a renowned Columbia songwriter and singer whose songs have reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs Chart. Coming from a musically inclined home, Karol G knew from a young age that she wanted to sing. Her father has been instrumental in her musical journey since he introduced her to different music genres (Pareles). She is a trailblazer since she has paved the path for women who rap in Latin and are associated with reggaeton after navigating a male-dominated world and almost giving up. However, she studies much at the University of Antioquia, and her return to music scenes in 2016 paid off after the Unstoppable album (Pareles). One of her greatest songs is Tusa, which she has collaborated with Nicki Minaj.
This Columbian song was recorded by producer Ovy On the Drums and released in 2019 (Roiz). However, it was part of the KG0516 album, which had 16 songs in pop and reggaeton. The album was released in 2021. Tusa was written by Karol G, Keityn, Nicki Minaj, and Ovy on the Drums. It is three minutes and twenty seconds. Tusa is a Columbian slang that explains the spite and heartache people feel after being dumped (Roiz). The beat is lively and leans on reggaeton, which is linked to Karol’s work. It is in Spanish and English.
As stated above, Tusa is about getting over an ex. Karol G introduces the song by saying that the character in the song has no excuse anymore not to get over her heartbreak. Therefore, she should go out, but the moment the song is played, she becomes depressed. It shows that even though the girl thought that she had gotten over her ex, she was not over her heartbreak. However, Nicki’s verse changes and the song character believes that the man in the context has lost because she moved on. Karol G, in one of the interviews, asserted that to get over a heartbreak, one needed to work out to look great so that the next time the man sees their ex, they are jealous.
Interestingly, this song’s lyrical context can be attributed to Karol’s life. While the chorus was written one year prior, the other verses resonated with her life experiences since she had broken off with her fiancé Anuel AA (Pareles). It is possible that through the lyrics of her song Tusa, she was able to find the healing she needed to move on from her ex-fiancé. She longer has the excuse to fail to move on from her heartbreak. Most importantly, it is clear that they applaud the woman in this song, as she was good, yet she was mishandled. However, she regains her power is no longer the used but the user and has decided to have enough of men. Her strength and freedom are magnified as she moves on. The song’s simplicity takes it a notch higher, which is why, out of ten, the song rates at 8.5. The only instruments used were a piano, violin, drums, and bass (Shimazu). The only reason the song is not a ten out of ten is because the chance for dancers to take the song’s potency higher was not exploited fully since it was only showcased in the first verse alone.
This song has a lively upbeat, which can be danced to, even sensually. For a song that has themes like heartbreak and sadness, it does not show. Rather, it has a reggaeton that easily calls one to dance, sensually, even. Even though Karol G does not like to be closed in a box regarding genres, it is clear that she flourishes in reggaeton. She likes her music to be authentic and reflect who she is. That makes it easy for the audience to relate with her despite her fears of having simple songs. While the song is in Spanish and not everyone understands the language, once it starts to play, undoubtedly, the audience sways with the song. That aside, it is safe to deduce that Karol G is about empowerment and women’s autonomy, particularly in the musical scenes.
First, her song is about empowering and challenging women undergoing heartbreaks to start working on themselves because they have no excuses not to. While it is okay to feel sad and depressed, as a woman, it is important not to lose yourself in the pain but to use it to rise to greater heights. It could explain why, in Tusa’s video, the cast is all women, particularly wearing bright colors, which can be identified as women. These include red, pink, and white, which brightens the video. While Karol G and the chorus verses seem like a hint at sadness and depression, it is Nicki Minaj’s verse that demonstrates the complete control and power the heartbroken character in the song takes back. One can easily establish the storyline in the song since the girl in the context is trying to get over her heartbreak in the first verse. It is clearly not easy, which leads to her attempts to call the ex back. However, when she realizes that the ex is a failure, she decides that she will no longer wait to heal and be whole. As women, it is endearing to hear them call each other queens because that is what they are. Therefore, it is safe to surmise that through this song, Karol G wants to expand human choice and offer women the chance to take back their right to not accept anything that is below average from men and express that right. That is her character, as is denoted by her hard work in paving the way for other women in the music industry, particularly those doing rap and reggaeton. Notably, it is exciting to see how she turned her painful and sad moment to almost a movement of women who no longer want to use excuses to remain in toxic places. While the song is from a female perspective, it does not mean that it does not resonate with males.
On the contrary, this is a get-over-a-heartbreak song. Therefore, even males, particularly those who can understand the language, can relate to Karol G and feel her authenticity. I recently broke up with my Columbian girlfriend, and it has been hurtful. We both are Columbians, so Karol G’s songs were close to us. When I first heard Tusa, I thought it captured my emotions properly. When I hear Karol G’s songs, I reminisce about the old days; I become emotional and want to call her to take me back. The sadness that grips you is none like the other, and I can understand why she had to leave a voicemail. However, as Nicki Minaj’s verse comes in, I am reminded why the break-up was essential and why it must stay as it is. Therefore, this song helps me articulate my heartache feelings and, most importantly, rise like a phoenix from the pits of heartbreak and heal. I no longer stay where disrespect has been offered.
Works Cited
Pareles, Jon. “Karol G’s Songs Conquered the World. On a New LP, She Reveals Herself.” The New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/arts/music/karol-g-manana-sera-bonito.html.
Roiz, Jessica. “Karol G & Nicki Minaj’s “Tusa” Is for the Girl Who Can’t Get over Her Ex: English Lyric Translation.” Billboard, 11 Nov. 2019, www.billboard.com/music/latin/karol-g-nicki-minaj-tusa-lyric-translated-english-8543271/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
Shimazu, Harrison. “Ovy on the Drums on the Defining Tracks of His Career.” Blog | Splice, 1 Feb. 2022, splice.com/blog/breaking-down-ovy-on-the-drums-tracks/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
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