Thanks to the success of the global hit “Pantysito,” 2022 was a breakthrough year for Alejo. With his dreamy video video for “Estrella” that was released on Friday (December 9), the Puerto Rican teen sensation upped the Latin heartthrob ante with the addition of boy band CNCO. Alejo talked with Uproxx about his representing the new wave of reggaeton stars and working with CNCO.
Back in March, Alejo teamed up with fellow Puerto Rican singer Robi and Colombian star Feid for the reggaeton romp “Pantysito.” The collaboration amassed over 202 million streams on Spotify this past year. The music video on YouTube added 58 million views to that global haul. Alejo revealed that he spent a few years before “Pantysito” making music that wasn’t hitting and the song’s success gave him a much-needed push.
“That song was everything that I needed in my career, and in my life as well, to be trust in myself and keep giving it my all,” Alejo said. “That song marked the beginning of Alejo. It gave me a lot of confidence not only to keep making music, but self-confidence as well. There was a time before where I was trying [to break through] and nothing much happened. That song took me out of that sad chapter in my life.”
At 19-years-old, Alejo is leading the way for the next generation of reggaeton stars. “I live and die by reggaeton,” he said about staying true to the genre. For the highly-anticipated “Pantysito” remix, Alejo teamed up with reggaeton icons Wisin y Yandel, Nicky Jam, and Cosculluela. Due to the remix leaking online, he announced that the release was cancelled last month.
“That was sad,” Alejo said. “At the end of the day, I’m not disappointed. We made a great remix. When I heard the remix, I was like, ‘Damn, that’s Wisin y Yandel on my song!’ That’s crazy. Sometimes things happen that aren’t in my control, so the remix wasn’t released. I’m a believer that things happen for a reason. If it didn’t come out, then it wasn’t meant to come out.”
Alejo later collaborated with Wisin in “Volar” and Colombian superstar Karol G for “Un Viaje.” For his single “Estrella,” he’s now joining forces with CNCO. In the alluring love song, Alejo trades verses with the guys about not needing to be verified on Instagram to feel like a star.
“It’s about a beautiful women who doesn’t need validation from social media,” Alejo said. “CNCO is very cool. Honestly, I didn’t know a song that hard would come out of this, but we have a banger. I’m so happy. When I was with them, they’re normal people. They’re young guys like me, so we had a great time shooting the video. At the end of the day, we made great music.”
Back in June, Alejo released his Full Discoteka EP without any features. He wanted to shine solo. Alejo recently wrapped-up his first world tour in support of the EP and “Pantysito.”
“My goal is for people to enjoy my music the way I enjoy it,” Alejo said. “For us to be in a concert and sharing that same feeling. I want to enjoy myself. If people have fun with my music, that makes me happy.”
