Her collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny "Ahora Me Llama" became her breakthrough hit, and was the lead single for her debut album Unstoppable, released in 2017.

In late 2018, her song "Secreto" became a hit in Latin America as she and Anuel AA publicly confirmed their relationship in the music video.

In July 2019, she released "China" in collaboration with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna and J Balvin, which became her first music video with over one billion views on YouTube.

In May 2019, she released the album Ocean, which served as a stylistic departure from Unstoppable, incorporating a more relaxed atmosphere in her work.

Karol G achieved her highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 with the top 10 song "TQG", a collaboration with Shakira.