Original image by There Stands the Glass.
Concierto Virtual en Tiempos de COVID-19 Desde el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, a jarringly depressing album released by Rauw Alejandro in May, may be the definitive release of the Coronavirus era. The audio companion of a free virtual performance is a permanent record of the international trauma.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the energetic effort of the Puerto Rican pop artist, the decision to issue the show as an official live album is bizarre. Alejandro’s exhortations and a steady stream of air horn blasts are greeted with eerie silence. The necessary absence of an audience is an unintentional repudiation of the sterility marring almost every responsible livestream performance.
Released last week, Alejandro’s debut studio album Afrodisíaco exudes the warmth lacking in Concierto Virtual. His lively interplay with stars including Anuel AA and J Balvin are hopeful affirmations. Even so, Alejandro’s extremely awkward live album stands out as an emblematic document of this difficult moment.