Rauw Alejandro Evolves as an Artist During Forest Hills Performance

Global superstar Rauw Alejandro has never been afraid to leap into a new era as he evolves as an artist.  During his two-night headlining Red Bull Chapters show at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens (the second night was added after a sold-out concert on Saturday), Rauw turned his own journey into a three-act performance: Inspiration, Momentum, and Legacy.

Chapter one was all about where Rauw comes from: the island of Puerto Rico. He opened with “Santa,” where visual elements from the island, from the sea and the sun to the mountains and the Puerto Rican flag, filled the screen onstage. Rauw talked about inspiration to the audience, performing songs like “Déjame Entrar,” “2/Catorce,” and “No Me Sueltes.” He also played “Carita Linda,” from Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0, a love letter to Puerto Rico blending traditional bomba-style rhythms. Eventually, he got to “Tú Con Él,” his cover of the  Frankie Ruiz classic that shows his  appreciation for older sounds and classic salsa.

From there, he went into Chapter Two: Momentum, which demonstrates what happens after you take a creative leap. He showcased athletes jumping, skateboarders launching themselves into the air, and motorcyclists performing wheelies and spectacle-like stunts. Rauw — who started his career playing soccer — is himself an athlete and sports lover who already operates with a risk-it-all philosophy. Here, he performed everything from Playa Saturno’s “Baby Hello” to Vice Versa’s “Desenfocaó” and Saturno’s “Dejau.”

Rauw then turned his attention toward the Puerto Rican diaspora in one of the most powerful moments of the night. His message wasn’t just about feeling nostalgic about home, but about the responsibility the diaspora has to stay connected to and invest in the island, with him even encouraging Puerto Ricans in the audience to buy their abuelos properties on the island to protect the culture and identity that makes Puerto Ricans who they are today. By the time the show reached Chapter Three: Legacy, the question was no longer whether Rauw had made it in his professional evolution — we already know he has. We’ve seen him expand beyond traditional reggaeton into fusing Latin sounds into R&B, Afrobeat, dance hall, and electronic sounds to bomba-style rhythmic sounds and salsa. 

Rauw has moved from simply experimenting with different genres to using them to tell a deeper story about who he is and where he comes from. His music has become more intentional, and rooted in Puerto Rican and Caribbean history, blending those traditional sounds with urbano and contemporary pop. Even his dancing has evolved with his performances, becoming a lot more theatrical with each performance. 

During the third act, Tainy performed and opened his set with Héctor El Father and Wisin & Yandel’s 2006 “El Teléfono,” followed by Daddy Yankee’s “Salgo Pa’ La Calle,” “Déjale Caer Tó El Peso,” and Arcángel’s “Pá Que La Pases Bien.” The crowd erupted when Rauw joined Tainy for “Party,” his collaboration with Bad Bunny from Un Verano Sin Ti. Chencho, also returning as a guest for the second night, later joined Rauw for “El Efecto,” followed by “Corleone” and “Desesperados.”

The show closed with “Que Pasaría,” Rauw’s collaboration with Bad Bunny from Cosa Nuestra, followed by “Lokera,” and “Punto 30.” Rauw took one last sip from his Red Bull can before eventually being lowered into the stage. It was a fitting way to end a performance built around movement. Rauw is nowhere near finished reinventing himself. He may have already achieved the things most artists spend their entire careers chasing, but he deliberately stages himself throughout the performance as someone who is still very much in motion.