Gallery
Once the relentless pop of paintball guns has died down, Rauw is back to joking around with his friends, letting out a clipped chuckle that sounds like a vocal loop got caught in his throat. He describes himself as pretty “low-key,” even though his sheer determination to shake things up in the Spanish-speaking industry is a big part of what’s launched him into wild, sky-grazing stardom. In Latin music, which continues to outpace overall U.S. music revenues, Rauw has charted a rare path as a triple threat and a new kind of star: a charismatic, gyrating showman whose smooth singing, limber choreography, and mutinous ear for production mark something starkly different in reggaeton — if you can even classify his music as that. His sound, futuristic and heavily indebted to R&B, has sold out arenas across the world. Fans in places as far-flung as Zaragoza, Spain, and Milwaukee throw drawers’ worth of lingerie at him while screaming to smashes like the six-times-platinum hit “Todo de Ti.”
