Rauw Alejandro
Saturno World Tour
Toyota Center - Houston
April 14, 2023

Have you ever given thought as to who the human race should name as ambassadors if and when the aliens ever come to Earth? I think Rauw Alejandro is as good a candidate as any. He's handsome, charismatic, and can dance rings around anybody.

To say that Puerto Rican Reggaeton artists are "having a moment" right now is probably the biggest understatement ever. Daddy Yankee just celebrated his monumental career with an ambitious world tour that served as his retirement party. Bad Bunny is at this very moment headlining Day 1 of the 2023 Coachella Music Festival, just months after embarking on his own stadium world tour and dominating the charts with Un Verano Sin Ti.

Which brings us to Rauw Alejandro, who is poised to be the future of the genre. As such, he appropriately chose an extraterrestrial theme for his latest release Saturno, eventually naming his world tour after the album. With hits such as "Lokera," "Punto 40" and "De Carolina" on the album, Friday night at Toyota Center was filled with a loud and energetic audience eager to show their appreciation.

The show began with the dimming of the house lights around the large, rectangular stage centrally located on the floor of the arena. The DJ pulled out the '90s hits right away, blasting "Rhythm Is A Dancer" by SNAP! and "What Is Love" by Haddaway, before diving into more modern, Latino Pop tracks.

Alejandro appeared onto the stage dressed in shiny jeans and a pair of futuristic goggles. The intro track was "Saturno," which is a synth heavy dance tune reminiscent of Afrika Bambaataa mixed with a dembow beat. That lead straight into "Punto 40," which sparked a fire under the crowd that caused dancing in the aisles and an elevated energy that lasted throughout the evening.

A large number of fans surrounded the stage, and they were eager to showcase their dancing skills to Rauw. Every time the Puerto Rican superstar danced near the edge of the stage, a sea of hands outstretched upwards for the slim chance of saluting their hero.


In an ultimate "Welcome To Texas" moment, somebody gifted Alejandro with a stuffed beaver from Bucee's, which he carried around for several minutes. He also received flowers from fans, as well as several bras and panties from his lady followers. My favorite moment was when a Mexican flag made its way onto the stage, which was immediately scooped up by Rauw, performing my personal favorite track "Todo De Ti" while draped in the tri-color.

Dance crew The Jabbawockeez provided a dance breakdown that served as the halftime intermission. The segment started out slow with a couple of West Coast Rap tracks, but soon elevated the mood with songs by Ivy Queen, Bad Bunny, Kanye West and Jay Z. Alejandro joined the dance group for the final segment, very much holding his own with the experienced, veteran dance group.

After the intermission, Rauw offered "Beso," one of his most recent releases that features his fiancée Rosalia, who is also an accomplished singer-songwriter. The video screens showcased several clips of the couple in scenes from around the world.
Before the final set of songs, Rauw donned a harness that allowed him to float above the stage, making for a super interesting visual as he was illuminated by the stage lights. It almost looked like he was being abducted as he sang "Lejos Del Cielo" and "Mas De Una Vez".

The final trio of the evening was "Dime Quien," "De Carolina," and "Punto 40," which ended with the activation of confetti cannons and colorful lasers throughout the building. An appropriate ending full of energy, positive vibes, and supremely danceable music.