Rauw Alejandro brought his personal history, musical influences and plans for the future to Forest Hills Stadium in New York on Sept. 5, turning the inaugural Red Bull Chapters performance into a three-act production built around the Puerto Rican star’s evolution. The concert, originally announced as a one-night event, expanded to two nights after the first date sold out, with a second performance taking place Sept. 6.

The production divided Rauw’s story into three chapters, titled “Inspiration,” “Impulse” and “Legacy.” Rather than presenting his catalog chronologically, the show moved between his Puerto Rican roots, the influences that shaped his music, his rise as an international artist and the direction he is taking his sound next.

The opening section focused on Rauw’s upbringing and the musical environment surrounding his family. Visuals of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean accompanied a narrative about the island’s Taíno, African and Spanish influences and the genres that became part of his musical foundation, including salsa, reggaetón and rock. Rauw has previously spoken about his grandfather, a trovador, and his father, guitarist Raúl Ocasio, as important influences during his childhood.

Rauw opened the performance with “Santa,” his collaboration with Rvssian and Ayra Starr, before moving through songs including “2/Catorce” and “Club El Calentero.” He also performed “Tú Con Él,” his version of Frankie Ruiz’s salsa classic, backed by a live band featuring guitars, keyboards and percussion.

The second chapter shifted toward movement and spectacle. Skateboarders, motorcycles, fire and other extreme-sports elements were incorporated into the production while Rauw moved into a darker leather-heavy look. The screens also featured imagery associated with snowboarding, ice skating and surfing, connecting the physical risks of the performances with the theme of artistic change.

Producer Tainy appeared during the show, while Chencho Corleone joined Rauw for “Desesperados.” The collaboration added another connection to the Puerto Rican reggaetón scene as Rauw continued moving between live-band arrangements, electronic production, R&B and pop influences.

The final chapter looked toward Rauw’s next stage as an artist. The production adopted a more futuristic visual style and incorporated a broader mixture of reggaetón, electronic music, R&B and pop. The performance followed his recent Cosa Nuestra era, which Red Bull describes as a major point in his artistic development.

Rauw also provided an update on what is coming next. He said October will bring several collaborations involving Puerto Rican and international artists, while 2027 will be focused on his own next project. “2027 will be completely Raúl,” he told Billboard Español, describing a period centered on his individual creative direction.

The Forest Hills performances follow Rauw’s Cosa Nuestra World Tour, which concluded with a major San Juan concert in November 2025. His fifth studio album, Cosa Nuestra, previously reached No. 1 globally on Apple Music and Spotify, while Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0 continued the era with additional material including “Carita Linda.”

Rauw said he remains in a creative process following the extensive Cosa Nuestra tour and is taking time to find the inspiration for his next musical direction. The Red Bull Chapters performance therefore served as both a retrospective of the influences behind his career and an introduction to the period he is preparing to enter in 2027.