Rauw Alejandro Had Five Days To Rehearse His ‘Cosa Nuestra’ Concert

If you stepped into the Brooklyn Paramount on Wednesday night, it may have felt like you’d just time-traveled to New York in the Twenties. That was Rauw Alejandro’s vision: The Puerto Rican singer had the idea of hosting the release party for his new album Cosa Nuestra at the venue, decking out in Prohibition-era decorations and furniture that matched the LP’s vintage vibe. On social media, he also told fans to dress up in their most dapper flapper fits and smoking jackets —  they showed up to the sold-out event in droves, ready for the Golden Age.

“I just feel connected with the past,” Rauw tells Rolling Stone. “I feel like I’m an old soul with a young spirit.”

That might be why he conceptualized the album the way he did: Cosa Nuestra is a spin through genres from eras past, brightened up with modern sounds. Rauw says he was inspired by classic Puerto Rican sounds, particularly the ones that came out of New York over the decades. To really capture the vibe, Rauw actually moved to New York and started learning about different styles that had been cultivated in the city.

“When I finished [my last album] Saturno, I was in Miami and I was like, ‘I have to switch it up,’” he explains. “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.’” Once there, he dove right into research. “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.”

That whole idea informed his show on Wednesday. He admits he only had five days to rehearse and pull the performance together, though no one would be able to tell from the live band set-up, reminiscent of old salsa clubs, and intricate choreography onstage. Partway through the show, Rauw stepped onstage in a coat and fedora, bringing a vintage salsa vibe to the setlist. The whole thing was streamed on YouTube for about 6.8 million viewers, who were watching back home.

Eventually, he got to “Tu Con El,” the Frankie Ruiz cover that has become one of the most talked-about tracks on the album. It might be the song that best represents Rauw’s approach to mixing classic and modern sound, and how much he was influenced by salsa luminaries that had shaped the music scene in New York. “I always like to put an OG on my album,” he says, citing songs like “Punto 40,” which featured Puerto Rican legend Baby Rasta, and “Soy Una Gárgola,” which had the veteran reggaeton duo Jowell Y Randy on it. “So, I try to show the past, teach a new generation, and add my sauce to it.”  (Interestingly, along the process, he found out he and Ruiz are distant cousins.)

Throughout the night, fans sang to every word of Cosa Nuestra and left feeling like they’d time-traveled a bit. After the show, Rauw was already thinking about the future: “Right now, I’m focused on the tour. And I need to go to the gym before the holiday because I don’t want to start the year with a tummy,” he laughs.

But he’s also rooted in the present. Cosa Nuestra came after a moment of wild transitions for him: the end of a highly public relationship and engagement, a major change in management, a brief hiatus. “I’m really close with my family right now, my friends, my new management team. My career has been different this year — we’ve been blessed,” he shares. “I’m just having fun and enjoying being 31. I’m going to be 32 in January, so still a baby. Life is quick, so you have to enjoy every moment.”