While La Cruz continues to break down barriers for the LGBTQ+ community in reggaeton, the Venezuelan rising star enjoys living out his gay fantasies in his music videos. Take the sultry video for his 2023 hit single, “Quitate La Ropa,” which features shirtless men. twerking (perreo) before him in a locker room.
But at the same time, La Cruz has come to understand that his platform as a gay reggaeton artist coincides with a time when conservatism is spreading around the world and queer rights are receding.
“It fills me with happiness to represent a community that has been denigrated, mistreated and cornered for many years,” says La Cruz with his head in bed over Zoom from his hotel room in New York City. (I had just performed at a Pride event the night before.)
“It is a fact that [LGBTQ] “Rights are becoming progressive, but they are regressing even faster than they are advancing,” he adds. “This is very painful and worrying. This is happening in every country in different ways. During these difficult times, I will continue to put my heart into my music more than ever.”
La Cruz is the stage name of Alfonso La Cruz. Originally from La Guaira, a coastal city in Venezuela, she pursued a musical career after moving to Spain in 2015. After a brief stint in the singing competition “Operation Triumph“Three years later, La Cruz was locked away and found her drive stifled. In 2022, she took the brave step of singing about her affection and lust for other men on her debut album, “Hawaira.”
Venezuelan reggaeton singer La Cruz released his new EP, “El Nene, Vol. 2,” on June 11.
(María Camila Pinzón)
Backed by the rhythms of reggaeton, a genre that had historically excluded the LGBTQ+ community, La Cruz found his rhythm and his tribe with hits like “Te Conocí Bailando” and “Quitate La Ropa.” Among the first followers was the Colombian superstar. karol gas well as Mexican-American R&B singer Omar Apollo.
Along with Puerto Rican provocateurs like young miko and Villano Antillano, La Cruz has continued to question heteronormative urban space. He's also taken his sound to broader horizons on his new EP, “El Nene, Vol. 2,” which includes “Sírveme,” a Brazilian funk track featuring drag pop star Gloria Groove, and “Te Perdí,” a moving tribute to the victims and survivors of the 2016 tragedy. Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.
La Cruz's EP came out on June 11, the day before the 10th anniversary of that tragedy, which greatly affected the queer Latino community. In an interview with The Times, he talked about being gay. reggaetonero and “Te Perdi,” his tribute to the 49 people lost at Pulse.
It's been three years since you first went viral with “Quitate La Ropa.” What have you learned about yourself during that time?
There are songs that have brought me a lot of love and I am grateful to my fans who consider that song a classic. It has brought me many blessings. Right now I feel like I have the best opportunities of my life. However, I feel like the industry is a little uncomfortable with an artist who is openly gay and wants to be a part of it. That hasn't stopped me at all. It's the gasoline for my engine. It's what pushes me to continue working hard. My fans are the ones who are building my career and I will not disappoint them. I continue with this until the end.
You connected with Karol G at the beginning of your career. Did she give you any advice when you met her?
I want to say publicly that I would love to open their concerts there. Traveling Around the World Tropitour. I am very close to her. I love her very much. She has always treated me with a lot of love. I hope something between her and I can happen one day. I know that everything happens in its own time. I told him that I love the way he is and how he connects with his fans. When I see her sing and act, I feel like she is a sister to me. A great piece of advice that she gave me and that I will always carry with me is to never lose the humility and closeness that I have with my fans. The key to success is humility. I never want to be out of my reach. I want people to see me and say, “I want to achieve my dreams like he has.”
How did your collaboration “Sírveme” with Gloria Groove come about?
I love her so much! I've always been a big fan of his. I have approached many artists in Brazil and Gloria has been one of them. We didn't think twice before making this song. Gloria was coincidentally traveling to the Orlando amusement parks. I told him: “Baby, let's go! I'm ready for you in Miami.” She told me, “Baby, I'm going to Miami!” We met one afternoon to create this song. He took a break from his vacation to go to the studio with me. It was very beautiful. I love my Brazilian fans.
With “El Nene, Vol. 2,” why was it important to you to shed light on the 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting?
In 2016, when I had just arrived in Spain and my brother had recently arrived in the United States, we had a call with our family. My brother said, “There was a shooting near where I live and it was at a gay club.” My family has supported me since I first told them about my sexuality. I thought that could have happened to me.
I am following up on this tragedy because it shaped my life. As the years go by, information about this attack has faded. Every day there is less talk about it. It is a tragedy that is very important to remember, like 9/11 and the [2017] Las Vegas shooting, because it is one of the worst attacks in the history of the United States. Why don't we talk about that anymore? We have to keep talking about things so they don't happen again.
What inspiration did you draw from the Pulse tragedy for your song “Te Perdí”?
Along this path I have learned the stories of people who survived that shooting. For example, there was a child with his mother who lost his life and survived. There are many love stories from that club that have [since] get out. When I went to the studio, I was inspired by loss or a love that is gone, by respect and love for the community that supports me. It is my gift, to be the voice of this situation that must never be repeated. There are people who don't know about this tragedy and I want the world to know that this happened. I hope that the families of the victims and the people who survived live a life of peace and calm.
