Colombian reggaeton star Karol G apologised Monday after her latest song “+57” was criticised for sexualising minors, even drawing censure from the president.
The single, recorded with fellow Colombians J Balvin, Maluma, Feid, Ryan Castro, and Blessd, was released last Thursday but has already drawn opprobrium from far and wide.
Among other lyrics, it refers to a “hot mama” aged just 14.
Karol G, a 33-year-old, five-time Latin Grammy winner, offered apologies on social media Monday, adding: “I realise that I still have much to learn.”
Colombia’s Institute for Family Welfare, an official child protection body, said the song promoted “sexualism at a young age.”
Child sex abuse by foreign tourists has become a headache for Medellin, the singer’s home city.
The single has also been attacked in newspaper editorials, by magazines such as Rolling Stone en Espanol, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro on X.