Alejandro Rauw left earlier (1) large for his debut at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. On Wednesday evening (September 11), he captivated the audience with an action-packed performance alongside the actor Anthony Ramosand proudly displays his Puerto Rican heritage.

Alejandro began his performance with a cinematic and explosive Performance with Ramos. On stage, he performed “Touch the Sky” in a sleek black trench coat. As a surprise highlight, Alejandro paid tribute to Puerto Rican culture by performing “Diluvio” with traditional bomba and plena dancers and musicians. He then took the audience back to the Lavoe era by singing and dancing to “Déjame Entrar” on a rooftop and even Sabrina Carpenter move to the song.

Rauw Alejandro was, along with Anitta, the most nominated Latino artist of the night, with nominations for Best Latin, Best Cinematography and Best Choreography for the music video “Touching the Sky”. These were his first nominations for the MTV VMAs and marked a significant milestone in his career. He is currently finishing his next album, What Ourinspired by the legendary LP of the same name by Hector Lavoe and Willie Colón.

Alejandro seemed to use the red carpet to embrace this era with oversized sunglasses that seemed to be reminiscent of Lavoe. The glasses were a nice and meaningful addition to the sleek elegance of his all-black tailored ensemble.

Alejandro made a major career change last year after splitting from his long-time manager Eric Duars, and with his recent singles he has also announced a new era.Touching the sky” and “Déjame Entrar”. Alejandro recently announced that he has adopted his birth name with the new persona Raúl Alejandro y Su Orquesta. The name change marks a return to his Puerto Rican roots, when salsa bandleaders ruled the roost.