‘The Stars Are Aligning:’ álvaro Díaz’s Sold-Out SAYONARA Tour Is a Deserved Victory Lap
álvaro Díaz’s creative vision has felt almost prophetic the last couple of years. In 2021, he released Felicilandia, an album that twisted reggaeton into all kinds of left-leaning directions, playing with pop-punk energy, Eighties synths, and rock guitars. Then, this April, he dropped SAYONARA, a continuation of Felicilandia that pushed even deeper into off-kilter, futuristic beats and styles. All along, he’s been able to find sounds that have propelled the genre forward and introduced listeners to a new alternative lane in reggaeton.
Díaz got his start as a rapper in Puerto Rico’s underground. He’s stretched his influence over the music scene by writing tracks for artists like Daddy Yankee, Karol G, and his close friend Rauw Alejandro. But SAYONARA has been a breakthrough moment, spinning off hits like “BYAK” with Alejandro, which got nominated for a Latin Grammy last month, and resulting in a massive, sold-out world tour. That tour brought Diaz to New York last week, where he played a packed show at the Palladium Times Square for thousands of fans and even brought out Alejandro as a surprise.
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Before hitting the stage, Díaz caught up with Rolling Stone and share what a wild ride the last few months have been. Seeing the success of SAYONARA has been huge for Díaz, who spent years preparing the album. “I’d been saying SAYONARA is coming for a long time,” he shares. “It was so hard to get out and I was so nervous but I’m so grateful people connected with the stories and the songs.”
His time in New York started with exploring the city, even though he only had a few free hours. “I ate my sandwich at a deli, trying to see New York,” he laughs. He had been hoping to go shopping but had to rush to sound check. “I gave my credit cards to my friends and I was like ‘Send me pictures please!’ But I’m going to come back.”
Hours before the show, Díaz’s fans had already started lining up by the doors, hoping to catch a glimpse of the artist. The reaction to SAYONARA has meant a lot to Díaz because of what a big swing the album was for him, both personally and creatively. “I made this album when I was in a situation where it felt like my life depended on it,” he says. “I put myself through a hard time creating this, so now seeing all the blessings means the world to me. It means I can trust my vision. I’ve been doing this for so long and finally, the stars are aligning, in a way. People are more used to the sound and understanding everything I wanted to do.”
One person who always got what he was trying to do was Alejandro, who came out for “BYAK” and the 2021 collab “Problemon.” “He always told me I was a star,” Díaz says. “Now, more people are seeing what he saw years ago and they’re saying what he said before anyone decades ago.”
Díaz has more music coming for fans. Though he’s been releasing music since the early 2010s, he’s fired up by the one-two punch he landed with Felicilandia and SAYONARA. “For the people who support me, it’s an interesting time. I’m not going to stop. I have more tricks up my sleeve.”
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