Back in 2022, Alvaro Diaz has been released. Felicilandiaan album inspired by a fictional amusement park he created that represents a safe and joyful world. Earlier this year, when he shared the artwork for his latest album, FarewellFans were surprised to see the cover illustration depicting Felicilandia, with all its cheerful toys and mascots, completely destroyed.
Both albums—and the universes on them—are intrinsically linked, showing that Diaz methodically planned Farewell With the release of Felicilandia. while Feliclandia It was a story about finding happiness and enjoying the ecstasy that comes with love, Farewell Explores the hardest parts of romance and the painful journey of letting go.
“Farewell “It's about saying goodbye to the happiness you thought you found,” Diaz says. rolling stone“It’s about a Puerto Rican breakup, because once you’re single again, people in Puerto Rico will say, ‘Forget it, vamos pa la calle!’ And you end up getting distracted and ignoring what you’re feeling. That’s what I captured on the album: the first half is all about trying to ignore the pain, but the second half becomes more emotional and about choosing to move on.”
Diaz had originally mocked Farewell Two years ago, but a number of obstacles caused the album to be delayed. Frustrated, Diaz didn’t want to sit back and wait for his next move. Instead, he spent the past two years writing music for Karol G and Daddy Yankee, touring Latin America and Spain to sold-out shows, and even joining Tiny’s unforgettable concert at El Chuli in Puerto Rico. He also earned gold and platinum certifications for his album “Queen Queen.” Felicilandia In addition to his singles “Problemón” featuring Rauw Alejandro and “A Donde Van” featuring Sebastián Yatra.
“I was hoping 2023 would be a good year, but I didn’t expect it to be as good as it has been. I’ve been in the music business for a long time, and I feel like people weren’t ready for my sound before — but the timing is finally on my side,” he says. rolling stone.
Farewell The project features a roster of accomplished producers, including Tiny, Winsangwan, Caleb Calloway, Kenobi, Ortiz, and Hasi, as well as artists like BaoBao, Vid, Rau Alejandro, Nesk, Quevedo, and more. Diaz has been at the helm of the project, drawing on his own experiences as a songwriter and creative thinker to bring the project together. “I make sure to involve myself in every step of the process when making an album,” he says. “The producers I work with are very receptive when I ask for small details to change or when I want to experiment with sounds. I think it inspires them to do something different. That’s the trick to keeping my sound unique.”
mostly, Farewell It sounds like it was pulled from a classic arcade, filled with neon-colored ’80s sounds, cartoon references, and synth-heavy experiments all at once. It’s also filled with old reggaeton, early hip-hop, alternative rock and punk, Latin trap, and house. The album opens with “Te Vi En Mis Pesadillas,” where Diaz uses loud, alarm-like noises and distortions to create a melody that feels like emotional panic, representing an old love story haunting him. From there, Diaz treats listeners to a continuous stream of perreo tracks to get people on the dance floor, whether they’re brokenhearted or not. “I usually visualize who each song is and create it as if I’m talking to that specific person. Then I’ll throw in a movie or game reference to who they remind me of,” he says. “I also think back to myself when I was younger and wonder, ‘What could an artist do or include in their music that would excite a 16-year-old Alvaretto?’”
During the album’s creation, Diaz reached out to his longtime friend Nsqk. It wasn’t until he explained the project to Nsqk that Diaz realized the album was a living document of his life. Some of the songs, like “Lentito,” “1000 Canciones,” and “PLN,” date back several years, serving as markers for important moments he’s been through. “Ultimately, I felt like these songs were part of this story,” Diaz explains. “I think when people get into the Sayonara world, they’ll be able to appreciate them more as part of the whole project.” The album chronicles many difficult moments and challenges. (The album’s release was also fraught with peril: Singer Audrey Nicks took to social media in May to accuse Diaz of psychological, emotional, and physical abuse during their relationship several years earlier. Diaz denied the allegations on Twitter, calling the claims “completely false” and citing long-running legal disputes with Nicks. Diaz declined to comment further.)
To tell his story, Diaz has worked with artists like RaiNao, Taichu, Kenya OS, and Papi Sousa. Some of these collaborations were long-awaited: “‘Suki’ with RaiNao was a situation where we kept meeting up and feeling like it was time to make a song together. But it was a way to keep people engaged and excited and also collaborate with great up-and-coming artists at the same time,” says Diaz.
“Golden Gun” is a special tribute to manager and promoter Alex Malverde, who passed away in 2021 due to complications from COVID-19. Malverde was one of Diaz’s first supporters and eventually became a very close family friend.[Malverde] “I always loved when I was freestyling in the studio, and he was the first one to say, ‘Yeah, talk about what you want!’” The song ends with a voice message from Malverde jokingly begging Diaz to get back into the studio by any means necessary.
He’s still turning heads with his new album. Just this week, he released Tiny Desk Concert to the delight of fans, and he’ll spend some time performing in Spain and Mexico this summer before a U.S. tour. For now, Diaz isn’t interested in making music at the moment: “I want to make music that my kids will proudly say, ‘Yes, that’s my dad!’ at school. I want to make music that I can listen to again in 10, 20, 30 years and still relate to.”
