Rauw Alejandro On How He and Romeo Santos Crafted Their No. 1 Hit, “Khé?”

Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos, friends for years, had long talked about collaborating together.

Nearly four years ago, it almost happened, but schedules, tours and other releases intervened. Now, the duo’s first ever collab, “Khé?” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, becoming the first No. 1 for either of them since 2023. The achingly romantic, yet immediately catchy and danceable track is the fourth from Rauw’s new album, Cosa Nostra, to hit the chart, and the first to climb No. 1, thanks in part to a lilting beat that allows it to flow between formats.

Ironically, “Khé?” wasn’t even destined to be in the set.

As Rauw told Billboard in an exclusive conversation, he originally wrote the song for his 2021 album Vice Versa.  “I was preparing a song for Romeo and I went to the studio to work with [producer] Mr. Naisgai and [singer/songwriter] Elena Rosa, who wrote the chorus,” he said, during a break from rehearsals for his massive Cosa Nuestra arena tour, which kicks off April 5 in Seattle.

“We were looking for that Romeo flow, that would work for a collab with him. And that’s how we came up with the ‘Se nota tanto, que me está matando’ chorus. We tried to empathize with Romeo’s feeling, and I’d been doing bachata since Day 1 because I’m a bachatero. Then, when I showed it to Romeo, he loved it.”

Santos really did love it, but he was busy with other projects. But Rauw had faith. He never released the song, saving it instead for a rainy day. When he began recording Cosa Nuestra, he again reached out to Santos to brainstorm ideas. It was Santos who finally said: “Remember that song we did years ago? That’s the hit.”

Due to scheduling conflicts, they worked via Zoom, with Santos helping in the production –as he likes to do—and ended up incorporating an African kizomba beat into the song’s tropical and reggaetón fusion.

“Romeo loves kizomba, and since I was hanging out in jazz clubs and speakeasies in New York City, we added a touch of New York jazz,” says Rauw.

The two finally did meet up, in New York City, to film the video, a nostalgia-infused black and white ode to old Broadway that features both artists dancing in the steps of an old cinema and in the subway.

“It’s some of my best visual work, and I can’t wait to sing it live,” says an enthused Rauw. “I’m one of those people that believes God’s time is perfect. Artists have their calendars, and I always understood that, from the very beginning of my career. You have to respect other artists’ time. Many things have to fall into place for a collaboration to happen or be successful. But we always had a beautiful relationship. We have long phone conversations. And he’s fan. He doesn’t record with many people, only with the top. So, I feel honored to record with Romeo, the legend. It had happened. Because Romeo and Rauw are the guys for the babes. That’s the truth!”

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