Álvaro Díaz is at all times trying towards the longer term. Whereas talking with SPIN from Tokyo, the place he’s selling his new album Sayonara (out on Might 17), he pulls out a pocket book within the form of the unique PlayStation, which incorporates concepts for his subsequent album. The rising Puerto Rican star has grow to be a visionary in Latin city music for his hip-hop and rock-infused spin on reggaeton. With over 9 million month-to-month listeners on Spotify, Díaz is able to usher within the period of the choice reggaetonero artist.
“It’s my most various album, however on the identical time, it’s my album with probably the most reggaeton in my entire profession,” Díaz says about Sayonara. “I took on the problem of exploring various things on my final two albums simply to go a special route. It was extra enjoyable for me and the nice factor is persons are liking it.”
With Sayonara, Díaz continues to expertly fuse components of rock, lure, home, electronica, and reggaeton music. Earlier than main the choice reggaeton scene, he was born Jorge Álvaro Díaz Rodríguez in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As a baby, he grew up amidst the reggaeton increase taking place on the island. Whereas promoting tickets to reggaeton events for minors, Díaz was plugged into a special sound: the pop-punk anthems of Blink-182.
“My favourite band ever was Blink-182,” he says of the pop punk icons. “They have been the primary artist I had a poster of in my room. That’s after I fell in love with music. I keep in mind having the [Enema of the State] CD and taking part in it loud and on repeat.”
After studying to play songs by Blink-182, Deftones, and Incubus on the bass, Díaz additionally leaned into hip-hop by artists resembling Kanye West, Calle 13, Lupe Fiasco, and later Child Cudi. As a rapper and singer, Díaz wished to mix his influences and push Latin city music into another and hip-hop course. His imaginative and prescient was too adventurous for anybody to take a danger on him, so he uploaded his experimental tracks to SoundClick and later SoundCloud. Díaz’s songs grew a following that included Rauw Alejandro. Díaz claims he helped spur a “tremendous particular motion of SoundCloud in Puerto Rico” with Bad Bunny and Alejandro later leaping on the platform to get showcase their songs. Díaz cast a friendship with Alejandro that led to collaborations like “Problemón” and extra not too long ago, “BYAK” on Sayonara.
“I simply keep in mind at some point, me and Rauw hyping one another up, telling one another that you simply’re going to make it,” he says. “I keep in mind dreaming collectively, and whenever you see the way it’s turned out for us, it’s enjoyable. It’s at all times good to win, however whenever you win together with your brothers, it’s extra particular.”
Round 2017, Díaz signed with Common Music Latin and continued to construct hype round his music by mixtapes and EPs. In 2021, Díaz absolutely realized his various imaginative and prescient of reggaeton together with his breakthrough album Felicilandia. The duvet artwork depicted a Disneyland-like theme park together with his cartoon crocodile brand taking Mickey Mouse’s place. Three years later, the Sayonara cowl artwork revisits that scene now in shambles and up in flames. Díaz admits {that a} breakup impressed his new album.
“I did this album known as Felicilandia, which was my solution to discover happiness,” he says. “Sayonara is my solution to say goodbye to that happiness that I believed I discovered. I didn’t know I used to be writing about my life. That is what I used to be feeling. At first, you’re attempting to go numb, attempting to pichear [forget about it], and attempting to disregard all these emotions.”
The album opens with the trip-hop of “Te Vi En Mis Pesadilla” the place he sings going through the nightmare of his relationship ending. Díaz then tries to get together the ache away within the house-inflected bangers “Deadly Fantassy” with reggaeton architect Tainy and “PLN.” He additionally teamed up with one other underdog that has gone international, Colombian star Feid, on “Gatitas Sandungueras Vol. 1,” which is reminiscent of the traditional reggaeton sound from the 2000s.
“We’ve identified one another for a pair of years, most likely earlier than the Alvarito Díaz and Ferxxo eras started,” Díaz says. “We have been on the come-up collectively, realizing that we deserve a lot extra. He felt that approach for me and I felt that approach for him. Each time we get to the studio collectively, I feel it’s magic.”
Díaz tries to win again his ex with the pop-punk tune “Ramona Flowers,” impressed by Scott Pilgrim vs. the World character. Whereas exhibiting off his arm tattoo of Flowers’ telephone quantity from the film, he admits, “I’m a Michael Cera stan!” Within the Nirvana-esque grunge of the closing observe “No Llores Si Me Voy,” he decides to maneuver on. Sayonara is a goodbye to Latin city music as we all know it.
“Alternative artists, we all know how arduous it’s for one another,” he says. “We help one another. I’m like, ‘If I can assist these folks the way in which I wanted somebody helped me, I’m simply going to do it.’ I like how music is changing into that there’s no partitions or packing containers to place us in now. It’s simply me evolving and I’m going to maintain evolving.”
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