Rauw Alejandro Shares Puerto Rico-Inspired Single ‘Carita Linda’

Rauw Alejandro has dropped a new single, “Carita Linda.” The Puerto Rican singer initially debuted the track, Alejandro’s first new music since the release of his recent LP Cosa Nuestra, during the opening night of his Cosa Nuestra World Tour.

The song was inspired by Puerto Rican Bomba, blending neo-bomba with modern beats. It is accompanied by a dynamic music video directed by Martin Seipel and El Zorro, and shot in Puerto Rico.

A press release describes the clip as “a heartfelt love letter to the Island of Enchantment, highlighting the richness of its culture while paying tribute to its people. Neo-bomba rhythms, cultural expressions like the iconic Puerto Rican vejigantes, and Afro-Boricua traditions are at the core of this visual production.” It also features scenes from Alejandro’s upbringing in the towns of Carolina, Loíza, and Canóvanas.

Alejandro is currently out on his Cosa Nuestra World Tour, with the North American leg running through May. He will then bring the tour to Europe this summer, with shows in London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, and Milan. It wraps on July 11 in Barcelona.

The singer released Cosa Neustra last year. The LP marks the musician’s fifth album and follows 2023’s Playa Saturno. It features collaborations with Bad Bunny, Pharrell, Feid, Romeo Santos, and more. The album finds Alejandro blending contemporary and futuristic styles with classic Puerto Rican ones, especially those that developed in New York City over the decades.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Alejandro discussed all the deep research that went into making the album, including a move to New York City.

“I like to feel the whole vibe and a lot of this concept was like, ‘Puerto Ricans living in New York? I’m moving to New York,’” he said, adding: “We went to a lot of jazz club, salsa clubs, regular clubs, bars, restaurants, just walking through the city,” he says. “I think if you do a project with a type of music, you should project what you say, how you dress up, how you live your life, otherwise doesn’t make sense.”