Colombian singer Karol G is taking the US market by storm. However, nothing about her long road to success is random, including her early influence: Eminem.
Recently, Salma Hayek spoke with Karol G for a feature in Interview magazine, and among her revelations was one that might surprise her core audience.
KAROL G: I have to tell you some thing crazy. One of my first loves in music was Eminem.
HAYEK: Me too. My husband’s going to kill me. My song for when I need to go fierce is “Lose Yourself.”
KAROL G: I love how unapologetic he is in that song. I didn’t even know what he was saying. For me, it was all about the vibe. […] When I learned what he was saying, I was like, “Okay, now I understand why I like him so much”.
Salma is a self-professed Eminem fangirl, and it is impossible to hide, especially after her emotional interaction with Marshall backstage at the 2020 Oscars.
Meanwhile, Karol’s confession is even more interesting because it gives a hint as to why Eminem is so popular internationally. His reputation as a skilful storyteller is well deserved, but that helps little in markets where most people don’t understand his lyrics. This is where his energy, beats, and convincing delivery come into play. The universal language of music is hard to master, and Eminem is one of the few artists who can build a connection beyond words with his audience.