Rauw Alejandro performs at SAP Center in San Jose on April 26, 2023. Italie Penaloza/STAFF.

SAN JOSE — Almost exactly a year since his last visit, Puerto Rican sensation Rauw Alejandro made his way back to SAP Center on Wednesday in support of his latest sci-fi-inspired album, Saturno. With the debut in second place on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, becoming a power couple with Spanish music star Rosalía and numerous sold-out concerts, there was much he had to celebrate in San Jose.

On Saturno, the Latin megastar, whose name is Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz, displayed a unique combination of music styles from the past, present and future by pairing ‘90s-inspired electronic beats with new-school reggeatón flows that he’s partly credited with spearheading. While Rauw Alejandro and reggeatón music were both born on the island of Puerto Rico, he’s known for stepping outside the traditional lines of the genre. This current Saturno era is his most experimental-sounding, mixing house and freestyle beats with dance-provoking sounds.

As proof, the stage production shows how daring the project was for the artist. Transforming SAP Center into a far-away planet, it was time to board the spaceship for a two-hour journey toward Saturno.

Rauw Alejandro performs at the SAP Center in San Jose on April 26, 2023.

Complete with intricate background visuals, a female flight attendant making announcements throughout the show in a robotic voice, an alien-like masked dance crew (Jabbawockeez) performing as special guests, celestial lighting and chrome wardrobe pieces, the show felt like being on the set of “The Fifth Element.”

The disembodied flight attendant’s voice announced that she had curated a special selection of tracks to get the party started ahead of the performance. Consistent with the album’s theme, attendees enjoyed ’90s hits, electronic tracks and both old-school and newer reggaetón to set the vibes.

Once the lights went down and the flight attendant prepped the crowd for takeoff, Rauw Alejandro suddenly rose from the bottom of the stage, placed in the center of the arena floor, to greet the crowd. Wearing futuristic goggles that resembled alien eyes and metallic pants, he began with the explosive single “PUNTO 40,” from the tour’s namesake album.

Rauw Alejandro performs at SAP Center in San Jose on April 26, 2023.

Ruiz followed up with 2019 single “Fantasias.” The song features fellow Puerto Rican superstar Farruko and spent numerous weeks in the Top Latin charts. The rest of the performance continued with fan favorites from his last two albums, along with all of Saturno.

Picking from 2021’s Vice Versa, he dove into “La Old Skul” for some more fun with the crowd and a dance break. On the extended remix, Ruiz and his dancers performed a routine and then asked for participation from the crowd.

“Hasta ‘bajo mamí” (“To the ground”), he chanted while pointing toward an attendee who danced as low as they could go.

Rauw Alejandro performs at SAP Center in San Jose on April 26, 2023.

Diving back into Saturno, Rauw Alejandro enlisted the help of  artist Chris Palace to perform their collaboration “Gatas.” Announcing that it was the guest’s first time in San Jose, the two split the room in half, challenging the audience to sing the chorus of the song as loud as they could on their cue.

Rauw Alejandro then played two new songs from RR, a joint EP with his fianceé, Rosalía, that was released earlier this month. Switching to a darker vibe, he began to sing “Vampiros,” which tells the story of two lovers spending a night out on the town until sunrise. Continuing to tell their love story, he moved on to “Beso” without his partner.

“I love you,” he said at the end of both, his head pointed skyward.

SoCal-based Jabbawockeez made their first appearance at the half-mark of the show, performing a 15-minute solo routine. Dancing to a mix of old-school reggaetón and West Coast hip-hop from Ivy Queen to YG, the masked dance group provided an attention-grabbing break that even featured a laser show. Their performance told the story of alien invaders as 8-bit visuals took over the arena screens. To take back control, Rauw Alejandro had to “defeat” them to continue the show.

Rauw Alejandro performs at the SAP Center in San Jose on April 26, 2023.

One thing the Puerto Rican artist is known for is his dance moves. He recently sparked a viral dance trend for “2/Catorce,” in which he dives onto the floor and performs some grinding motions. As soon as the opening notes for the song sounded in the arena, cheers rose from the crowd. But here, dancers caught him just before he hit the floor on Vice Versa tune.

Slowing things down and preparing for his exit, Rauw Alejandro was strapped to a harness and was suddenly hanging from the ceiling as he sang “Lejos Del Cielo,” a ballad from Saturno.

Afterward, draping a Puerto Rico flag across his back, he spoke about following dreams. He concluded with “Dime Quien????” which had the vibe of an ’80s aerobics video; “De Carolina,” an ode to his hometown neighborhood in San Juan; and an encore of “PUNTO 40.”

Follow Italie Penaloza at Instagram.com/italiepnlza.