The overarching theme of Rauw Alejandro‘s Cosa Nuestra is that people might not necessarily understand his process of healing a broken heart. On the opening title track, for instance, he establishes that “this is our thing, I don’t think they’d understand.”
On the contrary: listeners immediately connected with relatable lyrics that touch on lust, love, heartbreak and closure, enough to give the Puerto Rican singer and rapper his first top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200, as Cosa Nuestra debuts at No. 6 this week. The set also sits atop both the Top Latin Albums chart and Latin Rhythm Albums charts (dated Nov. 30).
Cosa Nuestra boasts guest collaborators including Bad Bunny (“Qué Pasaría…”), Laura Pausini (“Se Fue”), Romeo Santos (“Khé?”) and Pharrell Williams (“Committed”), as well as a more mature Rauw Alejandro, both lyrically and musically. The artist born Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz is extremely intentional with every verse and every sound that power his songs. From salsa to R&B to reggaetón to electro-funk to kizomba, Cosa Nuestra is a wide-ranging production that represents his most eclectic and ambitious work to date.
“I respect my fans a lot and I know what they like about Rauw, but I also know what I can offer new,” Rauw Alejandro previously told Billboard. “I always try to look for a happy medium, not only what I like to listen to as an artist, but also what my fans like.”
Below, Billboard ranks all 18 songs from Cosa Nuestra, in descending order.