Alex Cooper x Youtube Presents: BTS of Headlining Coachella (ft. KAROL G) - Part 2

[Música] Mi real name es Carolina. [Música] Para nadie eso ya creo que es muy raro ver una mujer dentro del género del regletor. [Música] [Música] [Música] [Música] Esa un camón me parece que se le quede un amor en tu respito. ¡Yos! ¡Yos! ¡Yos! Y lees tu mamá. ¡Dime! Hey Daddy Gang, welcome back to part 2 of this very special Carole G Coachella episode. I just got to Coachella. I'm backstage. I'm about to go hang out with Carole G and I'm so, so, so excited for you to see this episode. Before we get into it, if you have not watched part one of this series, you have to pause and you need to go watch that. In episode one, Carole G shared her story of being a teenager growing up in Colombia and then getting to where she is today, headlining Coachella. And now, in this episode, Carole is going to talk about her creative inspiration and just the whole process that went into putting this Coachella set together. Before we kick off Coachella with Carole G, we're going to take it back to the studio so you can hear from her what went into this set. Let's get into it. I know that you performed at Coachella in 2022. Now, four years later, yes, you are headlining and it's very well deserved. But where were you when you found out? Like, who called you? What was your reaction? I'm a loud person. I'm a very loud person. I love to scream. I love to, I think, I'm a very loud person. But actually, this one got me like super different. Like my sister called me. My sister, she's my sister at the same time. She's my manager. And she called me and I was completely shocked. Because I think right now, I feel so, so special that I have the opportunity to be in this generation that is changing the narrative for our Latina culture, super important for me. And when she called me and she told me like, okay, they want you to be the headliner that is going to close the festival because I have Sunday. So I close the festival and it's the first time they're going to have like a Latina women in Spanish being a headliner. So it felt heavy. You know, it's kind of like crazy. So at that moment, I was like kind of little shocked. I got like this silent moment and I was like, okay, let's do it. Like we were talking at the time. We were talking about starting the tour. But then I was like, let's stop everything and let's just focus about this because this is huge. And I really want my community to feel proud. And I really want the world to feel that I was ready for this huge opportunity. How did you begin to come up with what you wanted this message to be? It's a mix of things. I think in my whole career, like I have had the craziest experiences, good ones, very bad ones, things that I just feel that I shouldn't live at that time. Because of that, I just feel that I need to speak for women in so many different reasons. So yeah, there is still like the message of my community. We're fighting for rights. But at the same time, there's so many different bottles that we have to still keep fighting for. And so I was like thinking how I can put all of these things together and make it work and make it still like it's a show, it's a concert, you know? So that was the hardest part to get in. And we had like five or six different. We started from something that it becomes something different. Then it's like at the end, like, well, we just built for me. It's kind of, I love it. I'm very hard on myself and to have a show that I love, love, love made me feel like very confident about the show that we have. I just am so impressed because I think listen, we've seen people go up there and have fun at Coachella, perform their songs. And then we have seen people make statements, whether it was right political or whether it was to represent their community or it was about, yes, like gender, whatever it be. And the fact that you have two huge things on your shoulders, right? You're trying to speak up for women. And you're also trying to speak up for your community. That is a lot. Like I think about it this year, we had the Bad Bunny Super Bowl. And this is on the Bad Bunny Super Bowl. Yes, it was his Super Bowl. We've got you headlining like what impact do you hope to see from this massive moment that Latin music is having in American culture right now? I just feel like to have the opportunity to change people minds. It's the most important. Is it still like things that they're still like running by different people that I don't know how much we can change that? But at least what I love the most is to see how people, for example, from here, they're fighting for us. And that's what means everything because it's about that. It's about love. It's kind of, we're here in this world that is pushing us to be separated in all the way it's possible. And when human, they get this empathy and when humans understand why we are here, that we are all a community. I know it's Latinos, it's Europeans, but at the end, we're us in here in this world. It's kind of a it's humanity. So like I just feel that when you see that people is open their eyes and understanding that it's we have to do something together that's going to make the voice louder and that's what we need to get together and speak for everyone at the same time. And in a really powerful way, I feel like something that has always prevailed and risen up is music unites people. Music is this thing that no matter what is going on in the world, it is something that can bring us all together. So kudos to you for doing that. Okay, talking a little bit more about Coachella, because now I'm like, obviously we can one happen, we're going into weekend two. Can you tell us a little bit about like once you decided on this vision, you're like, I need to represent my community, I want to speak up for women. How did you even think about like the set design and the set list and the costumes? Okay, that's a good one because as I said before, like we had like seven different options and not options because we started from this and then I feel like like this, but I don't feel yet what I visualized for this moment and then we moved to here and we just until the moment we got to what we presented. Okay, so I wanted of course to represent where I come from, I am from Colombia, I'm a Colombian and I'm Latina and I'm a human in this world and so I can represent like my culture not being I wanted to go deep. So what existed before the aesthetic of Latinos, you know, like this colorful world, we're really extra, we're full of beautiful different even cultures in our culture because there's Mexican, Colombians, Peruvian, like everything and we're from different places and we have our different things. So I can represent everything but in a way that people can understand because I want the world to understand who we are. And at the same time like speaking about women, I read a book seven years ago, las mujeres corren con los los, is the name in English, is women that run with wolves, I think is the meaning and the book is so beautiful because the book tells you and explain you how women were respected in like years ago, we're going to, we're talking about like primitive. Yep. The OG days, yeah. Exactly. We had OG days. All the socialization and society built like all the way back to the very, very beginning. Exactly. We're like, we got it. Exactly. So women at that time, we were wild, you know, everyone was wild at that time and it was all about intuition, spirituality, like the realness that it is in our energy, in our bodies. And I find always like the energy of women, like the most inspiring thing for me, like I love men and because I love them, but when I feel something that inspires me a lot, most of the times it comes from a woman, exactly from women. So when I read that book, I was like so surprised how they used to be the leader of the tribes and everything because of all the energy, you know, even because of their sensuality, their energy, the powerful mind, the power of the body, And then society is structured system. They just have been taken that out from us. So I was like, "Hmm, that's a good start to thinking about the stage, to thinking about where I want to put the people like when they see the show, where we're going to be." So we're going to be in that specific time when women, they just were powerful because of their selves. Their inner mind, their inner feelings, their like, wildness that is so powerful and so beautiful. And I want to put the people in that specific time and I want everyone in that space, even women more, feeling that powerful energy. You know, you can be big, feeling intelligent, smart, brilliant, but you can feel like intelligent, smart, and brilliant, feeling sexy, hot. Mamacita, why not? And I want to put that wildness in all the show. So we have like one, two, three, like four different stages, as a people. So we have four different stages that these kind of, of this world where we live in, that for me would be the perfect world for women to be free. Women are going to be going feral, like I can't, I can't explain even just you sitting in this chair, how like it has me getting hyped because I'm like, this is what we need right now. So then when you go out on stage, do you ever get nervous that you're going to get choked up an emotional or do you just go right into performer mode and you just have to like black out the emotions? Because this is pretty emotional, Carol, literally, the most emotional person that you're going to have sitting in this chair, like I cried for everything, like happiness, sadness, and everything. I think with the time I've been trying to control it a little more, because you understand that sometimes I want to be super genuine and honest with my feelings, but sometimes you realize that there's specific places where people is going to be hard on you, because you feel real. So I'm trying to take care of myself with those things, but I'm super emotional. It happens to me. And actually, I love my fans, because they gave me the confidence that I needed to be open with one of my albums, Mayana Zaraunito. I did that album in a specific moment in my life, where I was really broke, everything in me. And when I had to put an album, it was like songs that I just were doing just two little feelings, and when I put all those songs together, and I put that album out, because you have an album, it becomes something that I understood, people needed, like a voice. Someone that speaks about realness and real feelings. So after that, I feel comfortable. I know they call me cryer, they call me like, I'm like a kid, they call me like, I'm immature and everything, and girl, yeah, I just feel that I have the most beautiful memories of my childhood, in the way I used to feel at that time, in the way I used to have relationship with people. And yeah, I didn't grow up, like, I still want to be there, and I'm still that girl. I, and there should be no shame, though. It's like being emotional about things that you love. That's what we live for, right? Like to actually be affected by those things and to feel it so deeply, like, that is, that is beautiful. How did you decide for yourself, of just like, what you wanted to look for when it came to filling that stage with people? Okay, with the guests, I started like with different feelings, because, okay, I'm going to be a headliner, Koacella, there's something special that happens just in Koacella, you know? But at the same time, I wanted just to have the people that, if I'm going to put a song on the show, and I have a guest, like, on this song, like, I just want to bring them on stage, because they're part of the success. So I don't, I don't say it like in, in my chair thinking, okay, what would be the greatest guest for the show to, I don't know, to touch someone, no, no, for me, it was about who are the ones that I feel their song to perform. There's on this show is going to make a moment very special for my fans, and I'm going to bring them on stage. So it was about that. And actually, for one of the moments, specifically, I'm talking about the Latina culture, I want to bring someone that has made, like, an statement for life, you know, legacy, a pioneer of what we're doing, why we're here. And that said, it was so, I love it. I'm so happy for you. Okay, speaking of your fans, you reference them. They obviously are obsessed with you, but your fans wear bright blue and red wigs to your shows, and they are very, very, very invested in the different colors that you die your hair. Can you walk me through each of your hair color eras and what they represented in your life at the time? Okay, when I was at school, my mom was, she was super open with the idea of me dying like my hair in different colors. I didn't do it like, you know, with a key me call in the key me call way, but I don't know if you know that there's like a paper with that you're used to pack. Uh, uh, presents that they have like, you're putting in hot water, it's like, just put like the water in the color, and I use to pull like my hair there, and I got like this little blue or the little, it was like a touch, it wasn't that hard as I did. Uh-huh. So when I was in, um, we were in in COVID time, and we were just locked, and I was like, okay, this is, I don't have interviews, I don't have like shows, I don't have nothing, I really want to be back in this. Love that I feel for colors in the hair. So the first one was blue. Uh, I, I'm a very color for girl. And when I say colorful is not all the time colorful is because I see colors, I see everything in colors, like I, I see feelings in colors sometimes I'm with someone and I just, I'm just stuck in and I'm like, Alex, like what I feel for you is pink. And, and I say that like, I, I don't know about what I'm feeling right now with you is pink and, and sometimes on this song for the show, it has to be yellow and everyone is like, but it's no kind of like black and I'm like, no, it for me it feels yellow. So let's put the visualizers and everything in yellow. So I don't know, but I see everything in colors. So my soul at that time was feeling blue. So I just put my hair blue and I tried to explain the people why I was blue and I think my fans, they just got these as I'm feeling blue too. So they put their heads in blue and the crazy thing is I never asked for that it started like coming to the show with the hair blue and they came to the show at Coachella with the hair blue and it was like this, this was this crazy picture about the crowd with this little, um, group of people with the hair blue and I was like, I love them so much and then I was so scared to change the color, but I wasn't feeling blue anymore. But in that specific time where you're healing, there is a rebellion moment. You don't come from this to the healing. There is a part of you that is tired, that it's it's kind of, you know, it's rebellion, it's a fiery. Exactly. So it's it's someone that is thinking like fuck it. Like, you know, I it's just that's it. Like, please. So that's red for me. So I put my hair red and I was I remember that I was in Santorini and I put my hair red and I was like, how do I show this to the world? I don't know. I don't know if I'm going to lose my fandom because they just noticed me with this blue hair. Okay, just a video on Instagram, I'm with the red hair right now. And people got crazy with it. So the next time like I just the next day, like videos on TikTok and everywhere like people going to this alone to change the hair from blue to red. And I was like, oh my god. Okay, that's crazy. My fans are crazy. It's so intense. We have a really really really toxic relations. I'm with my fans. I have a toxic relationship because we go hard. You go really hard. So they always with me, they have my tattoos. They have this a tool like most of them. I have this a tool that represent like friendship and they all of them. They got like a full codependent relationship. So then wait because I was with this red hair. And then when you heal, actually, you feel less heavy. You feel everything feels effortless. And everything is in it. about like chill you know you're kind of understanding as a time now I know how I was feeling that way now I understand how like why I was like with this red idea of this toughness that I needed to be here right now so it was pink so for me the era who was pink and I knew at the time like if I put my red in pink my fans were about to do it like two so I put my hair pink and then next day videos my fans like please kind of stop bitch because you're gonna make my hair and my even my wallet literally they're like babe my hair is falling out of my head I was with you from the blue then I was okay for the red now we're going to pink I'm here no hair left and actually when I was about to come back to my natural color with highlights but with to my natural color oh it's crazy I was crazy about the idea to have it like orange no yeah but then I was like more conscious about like my fans you know like but let's let's have a moment let's have a moment to just feel literally hair to exactly now I heal if you it's a barrel if you went orange I think your fans would have been like I've got like three strands of hair left girl okay I'm gonna put these three little hairs that I have left you know orange because yeah but maybe just one day I can be back okay so now we're gonna wait to see if you dye your hair again because now I'm stressed I would love to okay I would love to like always like fashionable people is always like girl with your natural color hair everything looks more elevated and this and that like I don't really care like a lot about it so maybe I just wake up one day and you're having fun I need to do it I love it yeah um okay being a Sunday headliner Miss Carol G are you gonna be able to catch anyone else's sets or are you like way too busy rehearsing for all of your stuff I would love to go like uh actually I'm still a fun girl you know and and I would love to go to some shows so maybe for the second weekend like I'm gonna be around so first weekend you'll lock in yeah second weekend you may go see who yeah like I don't know but for sure I really want to see uh just in show uh it's a long long time he haven't been on stage and and and I had the opportunity to meet him in at Super Bowl we were in the same like uh Sweden we talked a lot about like what does this meant for us and actually his show what the Grammys for me I loved it how he was like in his like bad shorts when he's guitar on it they're just like creating the instrumental right there like it wasn't honest and so pure and so I don't know if I for me it it has a really big meaning the show like that so maybe I'm gonna go to that one I would love to go to see Sabrina's of course because uh I think I want to I want the people to feel that this is our year it's not like about like every single year we see this different artists that are gonna be there but I want the people to feel that this year is about all of us and I want to be for some like some of them I can be in all of them but I would love to be in a lot of them though it's beautiful um as you were speaking about obviously your Coachella set is so focused on celebrating your culture um what do you wish more people understood about Colombia? oh beautiful you nailed it with that question because you said it's specific about Colombia and Colombia is a country that grew from a lot of disaster from a lot of suffering my country it's the most beautiful country you're ever gonna see because when people go there they know it like we literally it's a beautiful country is rich in biodiversity in animals and different species of fauna and flora in spanish and the people we are like they know screia and they we grew up like we added to this everything everything even the person in the worst situation there's always waking up at 4 a.m. in the in the morning saying the ozito god this is gonna be the day even in the worst situation so when you meet people in Colombia you're gonna feel the most big a big hug from everyone and speaking about that and about like the strength and the spirit that as a Colombia we have my country has a beautiful future and an opportunity to be an amazing grown country we just need the right people to lead the country you know so I just very proud of my country of the culture that represent my country the music the artists that have been representing our flag from a lower to places that's a good thing and you're gonna go and you're gonna see how beautifully our country has grown from all of the pain and all of the hard times it's just amazing it is amazing and I think that's what is so important right now to be speaking about culture and people and what connects us because we all are so connected in a way that it feels as of recent we've been made to feel divided and we've been made to feel like other and I think through your music and through your work and through other artists and other people like the more we talk about how we are connected and you speaking about your culture in such a beautiful way like not that you have to educate people but it is so important that people like you are able to tell people who you are where you've come from how proud you are because it is a really scary time in this country and I think what you're doing is so beautiful and I can't wait for the world to see this Coachella set because to even hear that you've infused so much of that love and that culture and your background into it that's something the world needs to see and I love that you've brought it here and you know what like it's just to add something like a little thing because I can understand that sometimes people things that what we're doing as a Latinos is kind of a trend it can become something that they're come again with their message of course we have in a situation we're come like we're going through a lot of I'm not gonna say me but there is a lot of people that is going through a lot of hard things in this country and it's our responsibility to speak about but when we do it we do it like as a welcoming way you know we're not saying like we're this and you're not part of this now we're saying like we're Latinos we need to speak about from like our culture our how this community has helped grow this country too and we're these we're like fabulous people we're like a hard worker people with the most beautiful spirit and you're welcome to join us as a community we're not taking no one like out of the situation it's beautiful and can you talk a little bit just about your foundation that you have back home in Medina concora concora is my foundation I think like we grew up like going to this different like ancienato like old places with bejitos and and and for children and everything that's something that my parents they put as since we were like little girls and I think when I grew up like I think everything needs to have like a circle it's not just for me for me for me it has to keep like circling and with the with the foundation we worked a lot even in my country that is a beautiful country but we like we need a lot of opportunities for the people education and support in someone that sees what they was and they too see they don't see but actually like for me it's so beautiful that all the fans that follows me and go to my shows and they just listen to my music they they're part of this changing situation they're being part of this foundation too so I'm very grateful I love to keep like moving forward with things and and and and that's what I actually what I feel that as my my my purpose purpose in the life is that I'm this blessed because I have like a mission and I'm just making sure that is our mission all of the people that follows me and we did this work and so beautiful so special okay Carol last question what do you hope fans take away from listening to your music that's I go on to I don't know like I'm on an open book and I want them to find like a space like a safe space and that's why I speak about like all of the things in life even the uncomfortable things that nobody speaks about like I'm trying to do music for every situation that I feel for everyone to find like a safe space in my music and I want them to feel proud at the same time so that's why I keep like being hard on me and learning in a ball being and yeah [MUSIC] Okay, I'm about to head backstage to meet Carol before she goes on stage to perform. But make sure you guys stick around for after this episode. Watch the live stream only on YouTube of Carol G's performance. She's going to kill it. Love you, Carol. [MUSIC] Yeah, I'm doing wood sewing. You're sewing? Yeah, you're sewing? I'm like throwing an address for my niece. What do you mean you're sewing? Is this what you're doing? Are you like calling your mother? No, no, no. It's not my first time doing anything for her. Like I like to do things, but I guess. But I'm trying to install a little bit of her things, because she came with Mickey Mouse something. And I was like, mom, my mom brought her with a Mickey Mouse something. And I was like, the look is serial coach in that. That is less than 30 tropical paper. How are you feeling? Crazy, like I don't know, my feelings are like, I'm kind of happy, proud. I have a feeling a lot of nostalgia, of course, but it's not healthy. It's like a little good nerves. It's good nerves, but it feels unhealthy. It feels like a lot of pressure. Like when we rehearsed, of course we just, we went to Las Vegas and we just built a full stage there. And it was amazing, but here, we built a station in the level of the floor. But here is in the level of the stage. So I get like massive and the skill of the stage is that huge and it has three levels. So I'm on top and I see everyone down there. And okay, I got nervous. And after that, yeah, this feels like, after that, it is like I got these special nerves that they feel a little hard. What did you do today? I woke up really early, I trained, then I did like two hours and I have of my singing class. Because I really want my vocals beyond point for today. And then I got here like the 11, 30 or something. I'm 30 in the morning. Yeah, I'm super obsessed with that. Guys just for context, she's going on at 9.55 at night and she got her at 11.30 in the morning. What have you been doing? But I get rather being here because at least I have my team around. And if I have a note or whatever or if they have notes, they come to me and we're close and it's better. Like I had just been at home waiting, waiting, it gave me more stress. And actually, I think I'm trying to enjoy the day because it's going to pass so fast. I feel like it's going to go by so quickly that once you get out there, right? But the lead up feels like 12 days. Is there anything that you do before you go on stage that is a non-negotiable you have to do at every time before you go on stage? I don't really have a reach on my reach. I get in me really, I have a lot of conversations with myself, but something that is super important is to get together with the whole team. With dancers, production, musicians, band and everyone, just to connect really all of us and be ready for the show. Because on time, when we don't do it, like I have this feeling, if we don't connect before the show, people is going to feel that this connection. What is the conversation you have with yourself though before? What are you saying to yourself all day? I treat myself like a little heart with a lot of, yeah, a heart. It's not in a bad way, but it's kind of, you know, there is like in my team for the building of the stage and the music in every detail. We are like more than 500 people, so it's kind of my face represented, hard work from everyone. So I have to take it with responsibility, you know, it's not about like just, of course I want to have fun. But it's my face that is going to pop out there and show their hard work from everyone. So I have to be like super focused, exactly, it's about that. Now that you know exactly what your show is and we're all about to be able to watch it, like what do you want your fans to actually feel while you're performing? Proud. Like proud. I really want my community to feel proud. And at the same time, we are in a festival. I want everyone to jump and to scream and to cry, you know, we're closing. So I really want my show to be the one that puts the energy like on the next level. How many guests do you bring out? One, two, three, four. Or guess it's a stop? Yeah. Four? Yeah. I'm going to be, you can't tell us to, right? No. So five seconds. OK, I'll be on the side stage, don't freaking out. I'm super happy that actually you came, because it was a possibility that you wouldn't make it. It was a huge possibility I was going to make it. And you literally were like, you were leaving the Colorado studio, like you better come, you better come. And I'm like, I don't even know if I'm going to be in the United States and we made it happen. And I'm so happy. I'm going to be sobbing side. Thank you. Thank you. Like, there's my girl. Did you come with someone, friends? Yes, my husband's here. My friends are here. We're very excited. OK. We're all very excited. Please have fun. OK, last question that I'm going to let you go. No, you tell me. Before you went on that stage, tonight, if you could tell your 10 year old self anything, what would you tell her? Oh, it's, it's going to work. It's going to work. I, like, actually, in the show is very, very deep dedicated to woman and I just feel that we have to make ourselves really strong in our spirits because we have to go through a lot of things, but at the end, it worth it, you know, to feel that you get through things. And then your chief goes and you do another one and you do another one and another one is kind of you start, like, like, unlocking these superpowers that every woman has in the world. So, I would say to her, like, keep going, you're going to be, it was worth it. OK. So, your moments from, like, going on in a couple of hours, what are you going to do until that? Are you going to do that? No, I have, no, I have some meetings after you. You have meetings. Yeah, like meetings. I got meetings. And then, no, but after, like, more or less, 7, 7, 30, you're locking it down. Yeah, I'm locking. So, that's why I asked to do everything before for me to be. Yeah, locked in. Ready? You're ready? Oh, shaking. You see? You're amazing. You're amazing. Carol G, here we come. What's up? I'm a big fan. Are you fucking kidding me? I'm a big fan of you. I want to present myself. I am Carolina Herado from Aegean, Colombia. And today, I am the first Latina woman to headline for Shella. And I'm very happy and very proud. This is not just about me. This is about my Latina community. This is about my people. And at the same time, this is for my Latina. That's how I've been struggling in this country lately. We extend for them. I use it for my Latina community. At the same time, I'm very proud because this brings out the best of us. Unity, resilience, a strong spirit. And we don't do this because we want to take everyone out. Actually, we do this because we want everyone to feel welcome to our culture. Don't feel fear. Feel proud. Feel proud. Write your best. And I'm very proud. Write your best. And I'm very proud. Write your best. And I'm very proud. Write your best. And I'm very proud. And I'm very proud.