Rauw Alejandro pays tribute to the folklore and rhythm of his native Puerto Rico in a cinematic video for “Besito en la Frente.” On Monday, he teamed up with Apple to release an iPhone-shot short film that celebrates the pulse and spirit of bomba, one of the island’s most deeply rooted and powerful musical traditions.
“Bomba is not just music. It’s the earth turned into sound. A heartbeat that came from Africa and blossomed in Puerto Rico. A living dialogue between the drum, the body, and the collective voice,” says Rauw at the start of the video. “Every step and strike of the drum reminds us that we are connected to the past and to the future. A tradition born of resistance that continues to be a celebration of freedom today. Every town in Puerto Rico expresses the bomba in its own way.”
The video, which Alejandro directed along with creative director Martin Seipel, showcases the waterfalls and rainforests of la isla del encanto, showcasing the traditions of the “cultural guardians” of vejigantes, which are rooted in the island’s storytelling and folklore. “Bomba unites towns and generations,” he says. “It’s Afro-Puerto Rican cultural pride.”
Halfway through the film, Alejandro’s “Besito en la Frente” begins, with the singer standing in a wide field of grass, dressed in earthy tones and a brown bandana, surrounded by bomba dancers as he sings and moves to his love song.
The video was shot with the iPhone 17 PRo, which allows videographers to save in RAW recording, and features a 16x zoom range. “I pushed it to its limits: from slow-motion shots to low-light scenes,” said Seipel, Alejandro’s co-director, about shooting with iPhone. “Creating for Apple and alongside Rauw Alejandro was a real challenge, but I feel I’ve fulfilled one of my dreams. I’m also super grateful of shooting in the island of Puerto Rico, it gave us everything, its energy, its colors, and especially its people.”
The track is part of his newest album, Cosa Nuestra: Capitulo 0, which featured collaborations with Wisin, De La Rose, Saso, Ayra Starr, and Mon Laferte. “He posits a region made up of dozens of small countries that have together created a cultural force that can’t be silenced,” read a Rolling Stone review of the record.