Afrodisíaco
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Afrodisíaco

Afrodisíaco (transl.Aphrodisiac) is the debut studio album by Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro. It was released on November 13, 2020, by Sony Music Latin and Duars Entertainment. After releasing several projects including a mixtape, an extended play, and many singles since 2016, Alejandro finally announced recording his debut studio album in early 2020. He worked with several producers, including Caleb Calloway, Mr. Naisgai, Dímelo Flow, Eydren, and Tainy to create the album. Musically, Afrodisíaco consists of traditional reggaeton tracks, Latin trap songs, R&B numbers, electronic elements, and perreo rhythms. After his sophomore album's release, Alejandro embarked on the Rauw Alejandro World Tour in 2021 to promote both albums.

The album was supported by six singles: "Tattoo (remix)", "Elegí (remix)", "Enchule", "Reloj", "De Cora <3", and "Dile a Él". The global hit "Tattoo (remix)" topped the charts in nine countries and reached the top 10 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs in the United States. The song won the award for Best Urban Fusion/Performance at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards. "Reloj" reached the top 10 on the Hot Latin Songs, while "De Cora <3" peaked at number one in four countries.

Afrodisíaco received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and the singer's versatility. It was nominated for Best Música Urbana Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was a commercial success. It debuted at number three on both the US Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums with first-week sales of 12,000 units, and became Alejandro's first entry on Billboard 200. Additionally, it debuted at number two in Spain. The album has received several certifications, including sextuple platinum (Latin) in the United States.

Rauw Alejandro began his musical career in 2014, uploading R&B songs to SoundCloud. In 2016, he released his mixtape, Punto de Equilibrio, which led him a contract with Duars Entertainment. Three years later, he launched his debut extended play, Trap Cake, Vol. 1, on which he fused R&B with Latin trap. After releasing several projects and many singles, he finally announced that he was working on his debut studio album in February 2020, revealing its title as Afrodisíaco, which translates to Aphrodisiac in English. During an interview with MTV News, he talked about the album's title:

My music is porn for your ears. My music is pleasure for you. That's the vision of the album. Rauw Alejandro is the aphrodisiac. The album makes you feel good. It makes you feel better. It puts you in every mood. We got a lot of reggaetón and sexy songs, too.

On November 5, 2020, Alejandro deleted all of his posts on social media and left only one photo, with the caption "AFRODISIACO comes out in a few days, while I go to rest a bit. I love you." Four days later, he revealed the album's release date, cover art, and track list, confirming that it would be released on November 13, 2020. In an interview with Los 40, he described the album as "a very complete and versatile album" and stated that he had been able to find himself "musically as an artist". He worked on Afrodisíaco with the assistance of several producers, including Caleb Calloway, Mr. Naisgai, Dímelo Flow, Eydren, and Tainy, and recorded it in studios across Miami and Carolina.

Afrodisíaco is a Spanish language album composed of 16 songs, consisting traditional reggaeton tracks, Latin trap songs, R&B numbers, electronic elements, and perreo rhythms. Lyrically, "about 90%" of it is about Alejandro himself, and he tries to "be in everyone's shoes" when he is writing, adding his own experience. The album's opener "Dile a Él" (transl. "Tell Him") is a mid-tempo "dark" reggaeton ballad, with a down-tempo "slightly darker" outro, that addresses the singer's ex-girlfriend who has broken up with him to be with another man. It features uncredited background vocals by Spanish singer Rosalía. "Strawberry Kiwi" has a "summery, tropical atmosphere", while "Mood" is an urban song and a collaboration with Panamanian singer Sech. The fourth track off Afrodisíaco, "Química" (transl. "Chemistry") begins as an upbeat reggaeton featuring Puerto Rican duo Zion & Lennox. However, it shifts into a house track with sudden flashes of high-definition house with the assistance of the Martinez Brothers.

"Enchule" was noted by the media for being different with Alejandro's usual reggaeton aesthetic and is a pop song, in which Alejandro expresses the feelings of the person on the stage where he know he has fallen in love. The word "Enchule" is a Puerto Rican slang for a romantic obsession. A collaboration with Colombian singer J Balvin, "De Cora <3" (transl. "From Heart") is an urbano romantic song about living with a young woman in a beautiful home, expressing the feelings of someone who still misses his partner. It talks about how you can wish your ex-partner the best, even if you are no longer with her. The hip hop crossover "Un Sueño" (transl. "A Dream") features vocals by American rapper Trippie Redd and has a dancehall vibe. A collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA, "Reloj" (transl. "Clock") is a melodic reggaeton song with urban rhythms, about the sexual desire they feel towards a girl, describing everything they would do to her if the clock had more hours. On "No Te Creo" (transl. "I Don't Believe You"), Alejandro collaborated with Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel, while "Soy una Gárgola" (transl. "I Am a Gargoyle") is a re-make of Randy's 2006 reggaeton hit track. The new version features Randy himself and American rapper Arcángel, and has been described as an "electronic update". Arcángel labels himself an "original gargoyle" on the song and Alejandro has added a new R&B verse about "making women around the world move to the song".

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