There’s nothing quite like art imitating life and when it comes to Anuel AA and Karol G, fans had their tongues wagging wondering what was going on with the two musicians who are a hot item on record and becoming hotter every time they’re photographed together. Without an official confirmation, the Latin-trap pioneer and Colombian reggaeton songstress have become one of music’s hottest new couples with many watching what started as a way-too-flirty of a collaboration turn into what appears to be a genuine love.
Karol and Anuel initially worked together on the track “Culpables,” a sizzling, Latin-trap anthem for adultery, with their chemistry exhibited on record and in the accompanying video thought to hint to an actual relationship. An initial photo teasing the collab saw the stars laced in each others’ arms and snagged more than one million likes on Instagram. The 27-year-old diva told Billboard that she and Anuel “became friends and we are very close,” saying that “he is a human being completely different from the character he is.” Meanwhile in the same interview, Anuel shared how he blessed the “amazing woman” Karol with her now-infamous nickname “#LaBebesita” (or #BabyGirl or “my baby”).
But November 2018 saw the heat intensify. During the 2018 Latin Grammy Awards on Nov. 15—where Karol G won Best New Artist—the songbird clarified on the red carpet that she and Anuel ”have a great friendship,” before adding, “Anuel is all yours, ladies.” But days later, the duo surprised fans with a steamy, onstage makeout session during a New York performance. For Anuel’s 26th birthday on Nov. 26, the artists posted photos together of them skiing in Breckenridge, Col. with Karol captioning an Instagram post with, “I can only say that I had the honor of knowing your heart and it is huge…Happy birthday. I love you, Emmanuel.” Anuel (neé Emmanuel Gazmey Santiago) wrote that Karol is “the only person that stole my heart” and “I love you with all my life, light of my eyes” in his post that saw him kissing the starlet’s cheek. Those posts earned more than five million likes and 96,000 comments on Instagram combined.
Whether or not their couple status is official, more music is on the way from the duo—an “acoustic” track written by Anuel that Karol describes as “a deep love song.” While we wait for more on both the musical and romantic front, check out a breakdown of their current hits, social followings, sales, streams, impact and what else makes them true Latin-music royalty. (Note: All stats represent numbers at time of publication.)
YouTube:
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Most-viewed videos:
- Karol G & Bad Bunny, “Ahora Me Llama” – 658 milllion
- 6ix9ine feat. Anuel AA, “BEBE” – 427 million
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Subscribers:
- Karolgmusic – 7.3 million
- Anuel AA – 5.9 million
Social media followers:
- Facebook:
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Twitter:
- @Anuel_2bleA – 679,000
- @KarolGmusic – 371,000
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Instagram Followers:
- @karolg – 11.4 million
- @anuel_2blea – 9.3 million
Spotify
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Monthly listeners:
- Anuel AA: 14 million
- Karol G: 12.5 million
- Most-listened to track:
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Spotify followers:
- Anuel AA: 3.5 million
- Karol G: 3.3 million
Charts
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Highest-charting album on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart:
- Anuel AA, Real Hasta la Muerte (2018) – No. 42
- Karol G, Unstoppable (2017) – No. 192
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Highest-charting single on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100:
- 6ix9ine featuring Anuel AA, “Bebe” – No. 30
- Pitbull, El Chombo & Karol G featuring Cutty Ranks, “Dame Tu Cosita” – No. 36
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Singles on the Hot Latin Songs chart:
- Anuel AA – 17 (including four Top 10 hits)
- Karol G – 10 (including four Top 10 hits)
Pandora
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Lifetime streams:
- Anuel AA - 355.2 Million
- Karol G – 119.4 million
Recording Industry Association of America certifications
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Platinum-certified singles
- Anuel AA: Eight (“Brindemos” is 2x Multi-Platinum)
- Karol G: Five (“Ahora Me Llama” is 10x Multi-Platinum)
- Karol G & Anuel AA: One (“Culpables” is 4x Multi-Platinum)
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Gold-certified singles
- Anuel AA: Five
- Karol G: Two
