Rauw Alejandro: 'I don't want to be stuck in the same pattern'

Rauw Alejandro joins Zane Lowe in-studio on Apple Music 1 to discuss his adventurous new album ‘SATURNO’, released last week.

He tells Apple Music about exploring new sounds on the project, avoiding his comfort zone, being encouraged to take vocal lessons from Rosalía, their creative chemistry as a couple, and how she inspires him. He also discusses exploring acting of the first time, staying grounded through his faith, connecting with Reggaeton pioneers, lending a hand to Hurricane Fiona relief, why his success is a family achievement, and more.

Rauw Alejandro Tells Apple Music About Exploring New Sounds and Avoiding His Comfort Zone on New Album ’SATURNO’….

I'm happy with the result, man. I had so much fun at the studio…I’m trying to put something new man in the table. I mean, not new, because everything is invented already. It's just new flavor with new sauce, you know?…This is first time that I've been playing with this color, musically. I tried to analyze my career. And all the music that I do, I try every year just creating new things. I don't want to be stuck in the same pattern. Every project that I'm going to do is going to be totally different from the past. Also, you'll see my essence. You'll see reggaeton and Alejandro essence and all that stuff, but you're always going to find a new thing to listen to, like a new vibe. I think that's the hard part, and a lot of artists, they just fall in a comfort zone. For me, that's like a danger zone. I don't want to be in a comfort zone… I think so far, this is my best project so far. I hope the next one its better...

On His Humble Early Beginnings and Why Success is a Family Achievement...

…a hungry boy, like super hungry, man. I was everywhere. I was working three jobs same time, at the studio studying same time. Then I quit school… It was hard… because it's a risk. Your family, they always hope to one of the kids graduate and have a great job. It's a family achievement. I always had that in mind. I was focused in the studies, and I did this promise to my mom, "Yeah, I'm going to finish. I'm going to finish.” Yeah, I gave her another diploma in music so, we got it. We got it.

On His Relationship with Rosalía, Their Creative Chemistry, and Teases Collabs in the Future…

Zane Lowe: You two talking about music must be something else.
Rauw Alejandro: Yeah. I tried to. We fight a little bit, but nah. In the studio, I think we got crazy chemistry. And I understand her. She understand me. And I think we respect each other at the studio.
Zane Lowe: But she knows what she wants as well, right? Yeah, she makes that super clear.
Rauw Alejandro: Yeah, super clear. So I try to don't thought about it. And she also knows my ideas too. When I'm with one idea, she don't say nothing. She just follow too. I think that's special. I think the last three years together, you get inspired of your couple and vice versa too. And it's a mix of everything. Here's the thing, sometimes I go to the studio and she's doing something and I say, "Oh, put this" or she say, "Oh, put this." And then we don't give credit to each other. It's just life. But for us, it's just something natural and we are not thinking about credits. We're not thinking about who did this, we did that. Which is like you said, live life. We live together so you get so mixed. And I can say she inspired me a lot. Last year, she inspired me a lot to do music. I learned with her. She learned with me. We got different sauce. But I think that's special, and it reflects through to our music. I'm happy. We are really happy. And we not rushing neither to do music together because you live with that person. You don't have any rush. And I know when the time comes, we're going to do a great, great job. We got so much ideas in our house. We're just staying there waiting for they go to the world.

On How Rosalía Convinced Him to Take Vocal Lessons...

I've been taking vocal classes, thanks to my girl. She always, "You need to practice more." Okay, I'll do it. I'll do it. She practice her vocals every day with her professor. It's crazy man. She inspire, man.

On Not Graduating...

I had a talk with my family, and I'm really close with my mom. She understood. I was so focused on doing music, and she saw my discipline every day. She went with me full out too. She gave me that support. I think that helps a lot, all the new artists. When you have that family support, I think that helps you a lot.

On His Relationship with His Mom…

My relationship with my mom, it creates who I am. She creates who I am. She raised me, and she gave me all the tools in life. I know for sure that that reflects on other people… It just reflect my relationship with my mom. I think I feel blessed about that.

On The Musical Vibe He Was Aiming for The Album and Looking to The ‘90s...

So, I was looking for that type of energy, musically speaking. I started doing my mood board, and look reference, and started creating the ideas. And I decided to fly back to the '90s. There's so much good music back in the '90s. It connects with my young me again, it’s something special how with all the resources we have now, all the technology in the softwares and programs, you can make a huge mix of old sounds and new sounds. I don't know, that's the most fun part, being in the creative process.

On Connecting with Reggaeton Pioneers...

I'm a huge fan of Reggaeton, the OG, I respect that a lot. They inspire me to do music and to be who I am nowadays. And every project you see, I got something from the past because you always need to show respect to the people who create this or who were involved doing this. This is of a generation that they don't know about Baby Rasta and I feel so bad about that. It's like you should know guys who's Baby Rasta. If you listen to Reggaeton now, you need to know who's Baby Rasta & Gringo, who's Playero, all these old guys who create the underground and they were a huge part of the Reggaeton name, the movement. So doing this album, I was like, "Yo, if I'm going to fly back to the nineties, I need to call the guys. I need to be with them. I need to connect with them. I need to understand them." And they are the ones that are going to approve this project.

On Embracing the Weirdness…

Yeah, I'm a weird guy. I can say that for sure. I know my fans too, they like that weirdness. And I'm this type of artist that always, when he comes with a project, he comes with something new. I just want to be that person in my career that offers something different. I try to not go with the wave. I try to create my own wave.

On Lending His Hand to Hurricane Fiona Relief in Puerto Rico...

I was in Hurricane Maria 2017 in PR. I was still working. I wasn't big, I wasn't famous… I was just a local artist. And bro, we had a bad, bad time. I was two months with my family, no power, no water. It was crazy. You don't forget that. Never. And then five years later, it comes this hurricane against to Puerto Rico. I was just remembering my days there, two months without power and water. And then now, I'm in this position that I could help, for sure, for sure. I was 100%. I call my manager like, "Bro, I'm going to cancel what we have this week. Let's go fly to Puerto Rico. We need to do something," because I was thinking every day myself in that situation and it gave me anxiety. I was in Puerto Rico when I was feeling that I was there. So, we did a plan…we did a good plan. And still, it helps a little bit, but it's just a small percent. It takes months to be back again to normal.

On Staying Grounded Through His Faith...

I try to connect with God often. I try to not go to a way. Life is like a crazy river. And some days you're here, sometimes you're there. But in my good days and bad days, I try to be connected with God. My mom, my grandmother says, "Oh, everyone's looking for God in the bad days. How about the good days?” I have this in my mind since I was little and I try to be connected with him even on my good days. I think it makes me feel good, it makes me feel on ground and in line.

On Exploring Acting Roles…

You know what I did one. It's coming out in January.. I mean I'm allowed to say that I'm acting. I did something with Sky Rojo is like, its production from Vancouver. It's a Spain company. They did The Money Heist, the Casa…It was fun, man. It was fun. You'll see a little bit of Rauw acting there.