| El Barco | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Karol G |
| Album: | KG0516 |
| Language: | Spanish |
| English Title: | "the boat" |
| Genre: | Bossa Nova |
| Label: |
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| Producer: |
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| Chronology: | Karol G |
| Prev Title: | El Makinon |
| Prev Year: | 2021 |
| Next Title: | 200 Copas |
| Next Year: | 2021 |
"El Barco" (Spanish for "the boat") is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G. It was written by Karol G, Jorge Muñiz and Ovy on the Drums, and produced by Karol G and Ovy on the Drums. The single was released on May 11, 2021, through Universal Music Latino as the sixth single from her third studio album KG0516.[1]
According to Billboard magazine, "El Barco" builds "…sonic layers slowly and deliberately, starting with a finger-plucked guitar before adding synths, handclaps before it all comes together with a driving drum beat. It again shows off Karol's incredible, eclectic library of influences and the inimitable way she's able to weave them together into something completely new."[2] The singer further elaborated to Billboard, saying that the lyrics are "…based on a story that most women have experienced at some point, and that's why they can identify with the lyrics ['''You turned your back, but the boat left; and your photos, I threw away; since I did, everything that was black-and-white now has color''…']".[3]
The song was first released as a surprise promotional single one day prior-to the release of Karol G's album KG0516, on March 24, 2021, with no announcement. Karol sang the song live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that same evening.[4] On May 11, 2021, that performance was uploaded to Karol G's official YouTube channel as the official music video for the single, where it has earned over 613 million views and over 1.8 million likes (as of 2024).[5]
Upon its release, "El Barco" debuted and peaked at No. 19 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart dated April 10, 2021. The song was certified 5x Latin platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 24, 2021, for sales in-excess of 300k equivalent-units.
The music video for "El Barco" consists of Karol G's live performance of the single on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It features Karol standing in a boat during a tranquil evening, singing into an old-fashioned microphone, while surrounded by a serene bay or lagoon setting. The music video was, initially, posted on Jimmy Fallon's official YouTube channel, but was later relocated and uploaded via Karol G’s Vevo and YouTube pages on May 11, 2021.
Karol G gave the premiere televised performance of "El Barco" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 24, 2021. Later that year, on both August 30 and 31, 2021, Karol performed the song as part of her set at Billboard and Rockstar's Summer Spotlight Concert Series, with the performance later uploaded to YouTube.[6] She later performed the song on March 3, 2022, at the Billboard Women in Music event, where she was honored with The Rulebreaker Award.[7]
Karol G has performed "El Barco" on all of her major concert tours since 2021, including the Bichota Tour (2021-22), the $trip Love Tour (2022), and the Mañana Será Bonito World Tour (2023-24).
| Date | Format | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | March 24, 2021 |