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The excitement around Rauw Alejandro’s upcoming work keeps growing every day. After kicking off his new musical era with ‘Touching The Sky’ and ‘Déjame Entrar,’ fans are eager to hear what his seventh studio album, Cosa Nuestra, will sound like. So far, the only thing we know is that the full project will be released this fall, as Rauw himself confirmed on social media. He also mentioned that this is his most personal project yet, a statement that was backed up in a recent interview with Billboard.
Rauw started by talking about what the album will mainly include: “My father is from Brooklyn, and a lot of my family is in New York, so there’s a strong Puerto Rican influence there,” he said. “The album is inspired by the 70s, the Fania All Stars, and all that. It’s a whole vibe, and I call it that because I see it as a complete concept. The music is closely connected to the visuals, the videos, and the photos,” he explained.
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What’s most important to him is the team that helped bring this project to life. He also touched on this in the interview: “We’re a collective, a family where everyone brings ideas to the table,” he emphasized.
Cosa Nuestra
He shared that his next album will present a more mature version of himself, introducing a character that’s completely different from anything he’s done before: “This is Raúl, Raúl Alejandro with telenovela vibes. It’s like Raúl Alejandro and his orchestra, something much more serious. My father’s name is Raúl, so everyone calls me Raulito. I was Raulito in Saturno, a young, energetic character, active in the streets and around the neighborhood. But now I’m Raúl, an adult living in New York, recreating the era when Puerto Ricans migrated to the city. My grandmother arrived between 1930 and 1940, during the Great Depression in Puerto Rico. Many genres like hip hop, jazz, and salsa came out of that time. I love diving into the world I’m about to explore and trying to bring it to life in the present with my own personal touch,” he said.
He also talked about how he chose the direction for this project: “I like to visualize my plans long-term,» he explained. «I sit at home, read a book, smoke a joint with some coffee, look at the sky, and map out what’s coming. I don’t like repeating projects. Saturno was an album inspired by the 90s with a lot of electronic music, so my next project will be different. My essence is rooted in R&B, and that can blend with any rhythm,” he added.
Mientras termino el album “____ _______”
40Kings 💷 on a Wednesday 🥂 pic.twitter.com/zKwbT3KGqK— RAÚL (@rauwalejandro) June 20, 2024
For Those Who Might Not Know…
The title of his upcoming release is inspired by a classic salsa album. The Puerto Rican artist talked about this genre during his interview: “Salsa isn’t my main style, but it’s in my blood and culture, and it’s something I really love. I come from urban music, but I can explore other genres. Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe’s salsa album Cosa Nuestra has the elegance, musicality, and instruments that you’ll hear on this album. It’s the first time I’m using my band and focusing on live music for almost the entire project,” he explained.
Rauw Alejandro dijo que COSA NUESTRA será al estilo de “West Side Story” (Amor Sin Barreras), película basada en el musical de Broadway de 1957. La cinta se convirtió en la más taquillera de 1961 y ganó 10 premios Oscar consiguiendo récord de victorias para una película musical. pic.twitter.com/J0iehoQn94
— Ana Fer (@anaferavi) August 22, 2024
One of his recent hits, ‘Santa,’ in collaboration with Rvssian and Ayra Starr, is heavily influenced by Afro sounds. Rauw mentioned that this type of music has been a part of his life since he was young: “Afro is mixed into everything because, for me, African music is something deeply rooted. We’ve inherited a lot of African music in Puerto Rico; our cultural mix is incredibly rich, and African music runs in our veins. I’ve worked a lot with Rvssian; he’s a great friend, and all our collaborations blend this style with a bit of reggaeton. It all comes from Africa. I’d love to do a tour there,” he shared.
Choreographies
If there’s one thing that stood out during his latest tour, it was the impressive choreography in every performance. This was the last topic covered in the interview: “I’ve been studying all my predecessors from Puerto Rico, so there’s a lot of traditional dance, and some that people might not be familiar with. I’ve included these elements in my performances, but I haven’t really explained them yet. These movements are inspired by cultural influences, drawing from salsa, bomba, and traditional moves from my island, mixed with jazz, contemporary dance, and hip hop. It’s another side of my career,” he explained.
After all the exciting details Rauw has shared about his upcoming album, we’re more eager than ever to hear Cosa Nuestra.
