Did You Catch All These Samples on Karol G’s ‘Tropicoqueta’?
Photo by Brianna Capozzi.
Karol G loves to sample music. Take her past Tiësto-assisted collaboration “Contigo,” which sampled Leona Lewis. In her newest album Tropicoqueta, she continues to inject classic songs into new offerings, giving artists like Thalia, The Beatles, and George Michael a breath of fresh air.
One of Karol’s new album’s themes is nostalgia. She takes her listeners back to 1995 by starting off her album with a sample of Thalia’s “Piel Morena” in “La Reina Perfecta.” Both Latina icons are heard singing the classic tune before Thalia tells Karol: “Pasaste de ser La Bebesita a La Bichota y ahora a La Tropicoqueta!” But that’s not the only song she nods to throughout her new fifth album.
Perhaps one of the most creative samples is in the Sky Rompiendo hit “Cuando Me Muera Te Olvido,” which echoes George Michael’s iconic “Careless Whisper.” Ever wonder what the famous melody would sound like in a cumbia villera? Well, Karol makes it happen thanks to her collaborators, which include Edgar Barrera in the mix. A social media user said: “Karol G making careless whisper a cumbia? Mega.”
Another sample in Tropicoqueta is on “A Su Boca La Amo (Interlude).” Karol breathlessly talks about an undeniable love on top of The Beatles’ iconic melody of “And I Love Her.” The track credits John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and was produced by Joel Iglesias. Moreover, the album’s focus single “LATINA FOREVA” samples Nina Sky’s “Oye Mi Canto”, which fans clocked once it was released last month. Though it isn’t credited, the album’s title track, “Tropicoqueta,” reminds social media users of a fast-paced version of Pérez Prado’s “Mambo No. 5.”
Overall, this is Karol’s most diverse album yet. Not only does she include creative samples, but she also crosses genres like vallenato, dembow, reggaeton, ranchera, Brazilian funk, bachata, and cumbia villera. “There’s a song for little girls and songs for my tía or a 70-year-old woman who grew up listening to this music,” she said about the new album.