Given that Karol G calls herself "la bichota" (basically the "girl boss"), it's no surprise that she stands up for herself when she feels disrespected. After the reggaeton star's April/May 2023 GQ Mexico cover debuted on April 6, she issued a statement about the impact of photo editing on Instagram. Specifically, she mentioned her GQ cover photo, which she said "doesn't represent [her]" because of all the changes that have occurred since it was taken.
"I don't even know where to begin with this news..." Karol G began her statement in Spanish. "Today my GQ cover was released, and the image on the cover does not represent me. My face is not that, my body is not that, and I am very happy and comfortable with the way I naturally look."
The Colombian singer went on to say that she was grateful for the opportunity, but said she made her "dissatisfaction with the number of edits to the photo" clear. "They didn't do anything as if I needed all these changes in order to look better," she added. (Bustle reached out to GQ for comment but had not heard back as of press time.)
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“I understand the impact this could have,” Karol G concluded, “but in addition to feeling like it’s disrespectful to me, it’s also disrespectful to women because we wake up every day and want to feel comfortable with ourselves, despite society’s Stereotype."
Although Karol G felt the magazine's cover didn't do her justice, the feature itself celebrated her impressive rise in the music industry. GQ also named her one of the winners of its inaugural Global Creative Awards, alongside stars such as Anna Wintour and Donald Glover.
Karol G posted a makeup-free selfie alongside her GQ cover and statement, showing she's comfortable in her own skin. "Awesome," commented actor Joselyn Gallardo. "It's great that all girls can read this and have another reason to admire you!" Musician Na Nathalia Milan also chimed in: "You're even more beautiful without editing!" Many others similarly expressed their support and thanked Karol G for standing for natural beauty.
The singer made it clear that she was proud of herself. In fact, she has a tattoo of her own on her arm, alongside tattoos of the likes of Rihanna and the late Selena Quintanilla. "I went to a tattoo artist and told him I wanted a tattoo of the woman I admired most in the world," she told GQ magazine . "People should give themselves more tattoos! Because only you know how hard things are. No one can feel it but you."
Karol G has also previously reflected on the harmful messages that new generations are receiving. "This generation has always been told how to behave: how to post photos to get more likes, how to speak to make others think you're nice or cool, how to dress," she told Billboard in February. “At the end of the day, they should teach you that you are who you are, and that’s awesome — because everyone needs to meet different people in order to continue to grow, develop and learn.”
