Rauw Alejandro Goes From Fever Dream to Rocking on the Latin Grammys Stage With Juanes

It’s Rauw Alejandro’s planet and we’re just living in it. The Puerto Rican reggaeton star just took the stage at the Latin Grammys in Seville, Spain Thursday to perform a medley of songs, along with a tribute to Laura Pausini and a performance with Juanes.

Rauw opened his performance with a pre-recorded, autotune-supported rendition of Pausini’s ballad “Se Fue” while surrounded by candles and a ring of fire. (Was that aimed at Rosalía?)

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After the ballad rendition, Rauw was accompanied by dancers as he did choreography in the halls of a venue while he sang “No Me Sueltes.” The performance then transitioned to show Juanes back onstage playing guitar. Rauw joined him to play a rocky rendition of his Bizarrap collab “Baby Hello,” which was featured on Playa Saturno. (Juanes performed earlier alongside the nominees for Best New Artist.)

This is Rauw’s third time performing at the Latin Grammys. The singer took the stage last year to perform a medley of songs, including “Desesperados” and “Punto 40” alongside the Jabbawockeez. Despite several nominations for his own work, he earned a trophy for co-writing on his ex-girlfriend Rosalía’s Motomami, which won Album the Year. In 2021, his song “Tattoo” with Camilo won the award for Best Urban Fusion/Performance. And in 2020 he joined the likes of Ivy Queen and Victor Manuelle to perform a Tribute to Héctor Lavoe.

Prior to the ceremony, Rauw walked the red carpet dressed in Saint Laurent while accompanied by his mother. Rauw is up for one award Thursday: Best Urban Music Album for his LP Saturno. The project is nominated against Akapellah’s Xtassy, Eladio Carrion’s 3MEN2 KBRN, Feid’s Feliz Cumpeaños Ferxxo Te Pirareamos el Album, Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito, and Nicki Nicole’s Alma.

Among the performers at this year’s awards show — hosted for the first time in Seville, Spain — are Juanes, Rosalía, Eslabón Armado and Peso Pluma, Christian Nodal, and Feid.

Over the summer, Rauw Alejandro released 14-track LP Playa Saturno and a track dedicated to Rosalía titled “Hayami Hana.” He also worked with Bizarrap on “Baby Hello” and “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 56.”

The ceremony is airing live from the FIBES Conference and Exhibition Center in Spain on Univision.

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