Rauw Alejandro on Puerto Rico, salsa and working with Pharrell on his new album

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Last year, Puerto Rican superstar Rauw Alejandro was in outer space with “Playa Saturno.” A year later and he’s completely shifted gears. Now finding inspiration in classic sounds and imagery and pulling from a kind of ’60s and ’70s Nuyorican cool, he’s releasing “Cosa Nuestra” on Friday. Its title is borrowed from the 1969 Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe album. Alejandro says his album marries classic Puerto Rican genres, like salsa and merengue, and more modern sounds like reggaeton. It’s amplified by a number of all-star collaborators, including Pharrell Williams, Bad Bunny and Feid. He even has a new character, Raúl Alejandro.