In case you are not familiar with many Latin R&B Dancehall singers, consider this your formal introduction to Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz, professionally known as Rauw Alejandro.
This young singer/songwriter, rapper, and dance enthusiast is rapidly rising as a prominent figure in the new ‘urban generation’ of singers coming out of Puerto Rico. In the wake of major career milestones such as hosting his own Virtual Halloween Concert and being invited to perform at the Latin Grammys for the first time, 2020 has been a big year for Rauw.
However, perhaps his biggest achievement to date is the resounding success that has ensued following the release of his 16-track debut album, Afrodisiaco, which debuted at numbers 1 and 2 on Apple Music’s Latin Chart, and Spotify’s list of Global Debut Albums respectively on Friday, November 13.
Afrodisiaco, the spanish cognate for “Aphrodisiac”, features multiple noteworthy collaborations from global artists, iconic role models, and comrades of Alejandro’s including Sech, Zion & Lennox, JBalvin, Trippie Redd, Anuel AA, Wisin & Yandel, Tainy, Myke Towers and more.
Several songs from this album are accompanied by music videos already released from earlier this year – the first being that of ‘Ponte Pa’ Mi’, which premiered in April of this year and features fellow boricua Myke Towers and Colombian producer Sky Rompiendo. The video, like many of those concepts left to Alejandro’s direction, entails a striking showcase of his talents for dance and creative movement, with intricately-choreographed sequences that flow just as effortlessly as his expressive vocals.
Rauw’s latest video to date, released the night before Afrodisiaco dropped, is that of single ‘De Cora’ alongside Colombian superstar JBalvin. In the video, the duo act as ‘cloud farmers’ in a fantastical profession consisting of the trimming and maintenance of trees made of clouds. As the pair pine over a beautiful lover and comfortable home, a stark juxtaposition is made to the subtly incarcerative labor and repetitive daily routine actually depicted in the video’s scenes.
‘Enchule’, ‘Reloj’, ‘Algo Magico’, and the ‘Tattoo’ and ‘Elegi’ remixes follow suit, with fun, fresh music videos that are enjoyable to watch and fall perfectly in keeping with Alejandro’s characteristically romantic, yet desirous lyrical content, further progressing the album’s overall theme of passionate “amor”, and sensual relations.
In terms of those songs without video performances so far, ‘Dile a El’ leads the way as the album’s opening track, it’s title meaning “tell him”. Alejandro confronts his most recent lover, questioning her rapid decision to overcome their relationship by filling his space with another. He expresses a resounding refrain throughout the song, the sentiment strong but the exact words unspoken; until his distorted closing lines, “Yo fui primero,” – “I was first.”
‘Strawberry Kiwi’ follows with Alejandro’s description of his enamorment with a woman and her various charms, so much so that he contemplates how to escape the trance she holds over him. “Si fuera un niño compraría un helado de tu sabor,” sings Rauw, meaning, “if I was a boy I would buy ice cream of your flavour.”
‘Mood’ features Panamanian singer Sech, who joins Alejandro to discuss the probable effects of such as well as all the elements that can go into establishing a suitable ‘mood’ for a shameless, libertine experience. Zion & Lennox’s contribution further echoes this sentiment, placing the blame on ‘Quimica’ (Chemistry) for their inability to resist a forbidden love. The song’s focus lies on enjoying the liberation and excitement of the moment while disregarding the consequences, even if only for a short while.
American rapper and singer, Trippie Redd, and Alejandro lament a love that they have not yet gotten over, describing it as ‘Un Sueño’ from which they never want to wake up to avoid having to face the reality of losing the relationship. Redd sings in English about the relatable emotions that he and his Spanish counterpart are consumed by when processing a break up: “I’m crazy about you, I can’t do this without you, I ain’t even gonna try to, I’ve been dreaming about you.”
In an intense ballad with a dark, consuming beat, Rauw, Wisin & Yandel express their inability to believe their mysterious partner with ‘No Te Creo.’ Vivid descriptions of her secretive behavior and cryptic tendencies leave our storytellers unable to fully trust her declarations of love, yet they wrestle with the toxic desire to hold onto her and the relationship, despite the dangerous foundation. “Ya no me importa na’/ Me voy a dejar llevar/ Aunque me mates a mi” roughly translating to “I don’t care anymore, I’m going to get carried away, even if you kill me.”
Club banger ‘Soy Una Gárgola’ featuring Arcangel is a refreshing take on the classic reggaetón song’s style and feel with pulsing beats to accompany the lyrics that appeal to an intoxicating night out, full of provocative thrills and exhilaration.
Contrastingly, in ‘Pensándote’ Rauw switches gears to tenderly contend with the probability of reconciliation with an old lover who still consumes his waking thoughts. Even with the help of Tainy, he is seemingly unable to communicate this out loud, and settles for silent pondering on what may be or could have been in lines that translate to mean, “I saw you yesterday, you look better/ I wanted to ask you if you still think of the two of us/ Or did you get tired of waiting for me?”
Finally, Alejandro encourages the subject of his affection to dance, enjoy herself, and embrace her liberation despite, or rather supported by, his yearning gaze. ‘Perreo Pasau’ is a song that is intended for an animated party or carefree girls’ night out, and translates in its most relatable form to the Spanish version of the sensual type of dance that we all know and love.
All in all, Alejandro’s full body of work is no small feat, especially for a debut. The artistic quality of his work is at an all-time high and with many more gems sure to come in the form of possible remixes, new music videos, and touring opportunities once the world is free to enjoy music in concerts that aren’t virtual, Rauw Alejandro is just getting started.
Afrodisiaco is licensed and distributed by Sony Music Latin and is out now on all streaming platforms.
