Sexo Virtual

"Sexo Virtual"
Single by Rauw Alejandro
from the album Vice Versa
LanguageSpanish
English title"Virtual Sex"
ReleasedJune 25, 2021 (2021-06-25)
Genre
Length3:28
LabelSony
Songwriter(s)
  • Marcos Masís "Tainy"
  • Emmanuel Sosa
  • Alberto Carlos Melendez
  • Jorge E. Pizarro "Kenobi"
  • José M. Collazo "Colla"
  • Eric Pérez Rovira "Eric Duars"
  • Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz "Rauw Alejandro"
  • Jorge Álvaro Díaz "Álvarito"
Producer(s)
  • Albert Hype
  • Tainy
Rauw Alejandro singles chronology
"Todo de Ti"
(2021) 		"Sexo Virtual"
(2021) 		"Cambia el Paso"
(2021)
Music video
"Sexo Virtual" on YouTube

"Sexo Virtual" (transl. "Virtual Sex") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro for his second studio album, Vice Versa (2021). It was written by Tainy, Emmanuel Sosa, Alberto Carlos Melendez, Kenobi, Colla, Eric Duars, Alejandro, and Álvaro Díaz, while the production was handled by Albert Hype and Tainy. The song was released by Sony Music on June 25, 2021, as the third single from the album. A Spanish language reggaeton and electronic perreo, it is an erotic song about overcoming distance, bringing the bodies together, with the singer exposing some of his deepest fantasies.

"Sexo Virtual" received positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its lyrics. The track was commercially successful, reaching number one in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama. It debuted in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and was certified platinum in both Mexico and Spain. The accompanying music video was directed by Nuno Gomes and depicts an illusional futuristic virtual reality experience.

Background and release

Alejandro released his debut studio album, Afrodisíaco, on November 13, 2020.[1] Two weeks after finishing the work on Afrodisíaco, he started working on his second studio album, Vice Versa.[2] The latter was released for digital download and streaming by Sony Music Latin and Duars Entertainment on June 25, 2021, and "Sexo Virtual" was included as the second track.[3] On the same day, the song was picked as the third single promoting the project,[4] issued by Sony Music to Latin American radio airplay.[5]

Music and lyrics

"Sexo Virtual"
A 20-second sample of the chorus
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, "Sexo Virtual" is a Spanish language reggaeton and electronic perreo.[6][7][8] The song was written by Tainy, Emmanuel Sosa, Alberto Carlos Melendez, Kenobi, Colla, Eric Duars, Alejandro, and Álvaro Díaz. Its production was handled by Albert Hype and Tainy,[9] and the track runs for a total of 3 minutes and 28 seconds.[3] Lyrically, "Sexo Virtual" which translates to "Virtual Sex" in English, is an erotic song about "overcoming distance, bringing the bodies together", with Alejandro exposing "some of his deepest fantasies". The lyrics include, "Esta noche por video / Pendiente, que te vo' a llamar / Nos vemos y el bellaqueo / Lo terminamos con sexo virtual" (Tonight by video / Pending, I'm going to call you / See you and do the bellaqueo / We end it with virtual sex).[10][11][12] The Fader's Lucas Villa compared the song with "Digital Get Down" by NSYNC, noting it for "breaking down love-making in the streaming era".[13]

Critical reception

"Sexo Virtual" has been met with positive reviews from music critics. In 2022, Ernesto Lechner from Rolling Stone ranked the track as Alejandro's 16th-best song, highlighting "the tension in the lyrics".[10] Also from Rolling Stone, Lucas Villa described the song as "alluring".[7] Lindsay Weinberg from E! Online called its lyrics "steamy", saying that he "turned up the heat" for the song.[11]

Commercial performance

"Sexo Virtual" debuted and peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on July 10, 2021, becoming Alejandro's 18th entry.[14] The song also debuted at number 22 on Spain's official weekly chart on July 4, 2021. The following week, it reached its peak of number 19.[15] It was later certified double platinum by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE), for track-equivalent sales of over 120,000 units in the country.[16] In Latin America, "Sexo Virtual" reached number one in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama.[17][18] In Mexico, the song was certified platinum by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON), for track-equivalent sales of over 140,000 units.[19]

Promotion

Music video

A screenshot from the music video, depicting Alejandro fixing a virtual reality headset on his head.

An accompanying music video was released simultaneously with the song.[20] The visual was directed by Nuno Gomes and depicts an illusional futuristic virtual reality experience. In an interview with E! Online, Alejandro stated that it "is truly mind blowing and fun", with them having "a blast shooting it".[11][21]

Live performances

The song was included on the set lists for Alejandro's the Rauw Alejandro World Tour and the Vice Versa Tour.[22][23]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[9]

  • Rauw Alejandro – associated performer, composer, lyricist
  • Marcos Masís "Tainy" – producer, composer, lyricist
  • Emmanuel Sosa – composer, lyricist
  • Alberto Carlos Melendez – composer, lyricist
  • Jorge E. Pizarro "Kenobi" – composer, lyricist, recording engineer
  • José M. Collazo "Colla" – composer, lyricist, mastering engineer, mixing engineer
  • Eric Pérez Rovira "Eric Duars" – composer, lyricist
  • Jorge Álvaro Díaz "Álvarito" – composer, lyricist
  • Albert Hype – producer

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Sexo Virtual"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Mexico (AMPROFON)[19] 2× Platinum+Gold 350,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[16] 2× Platinum 120,000‡
Streaming
Central America (CFC)[32] Platinum 7,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Sexo Virtual"
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Latin America June 25, 2021 Contemporary hit radio Sony Music [5]

References

  1. ^ "Afrodisíaco by Rauw Alejandro". Apple Music (global). Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  2. ^ Roiz, Jessica (June 25, 2021). "The Moment of Rauw Alejandro: 'Todo De Ti' Singer Goes Full-Experimental On 'Vice Versa' Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Vice Versa by Rauw Alejandro". Apple Music (global). Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  4. ^ López, Juanix (June 26, 2021). "Rauw Alejandro presenta 'Vice Versa' con 'Sexo Virtual'". Qué! (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "'Sexo Virtual' Rauw Alejandro - Sony Music" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  6. ^ "Sexo Virtual MP3 Song Download by Rauw Alejandro". Gaana. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Villa, Lucas (June 29, 2021). "Rauw Alejandro Takes Reggaeton to Bold New Places on 'Vice Versa'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  8. ^ Gastelum, Alexis Hodoyan (June 26, 2021). "Rauw Alejandro Wants to Become the Greatest Latin Performer Ever". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Sexo Virtual / Rauw Alejandro". Tidal. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Lechner, Ernesto (November 8, 2022). "The 50 Best Rauw Alejandro Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Weinberg, Lindsay (June 26, 2021). "The MixtapE! Presents Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, Tyler, The Creator and More New Music Musts". E! Online. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  12. ^ Tovar, Armando (December 27, 2021). "5 canciones con las que Rauw Alejandro dominó el 2021" (in Spanish). Sónica.mx. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  13. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2021". The Fader. December 14, 2021. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Rauw Alejandro Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Rauw Alejandro – Sexo Virtual" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Spanish single certifications – Rauw Alejandro – Sexo Virtual". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Mendez, Josh (July 6, 2021). "Hot Song" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Top 20 General – Honduras – Del 28 de Junio al 4 de Julio, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved July 29, 2024. Type Rauw Alejandro in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Sexo Virtual in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  20. ^ "Rauw Alejandro - Sexo Virtual (Video Oficial)". June 25, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2022 – via YouTube.
  21. ^ Sojo, Karen Ramírez (July 5, 2021). "¡Qué éxito! Nuno Gomes le hizo el videoclip a famoso reguetonero". Últimas Noticias (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  22. ^ Ortiz, Jorge J. Muñiz (October 22, 2021). "Rauw Alejandro da primer gran concierto en Puerto Rico como parte de su gira" (in Spanish). Swissinfo. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  23. ^ "Rauw Alejandro se sube a las nubes con su 'Vice Versa Tour' en Fuengirola". Revista Lugar de Encuentro (in Spanish). June 11, 2022. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  24. ^ "Rauw Alejandro – Chart History (Argentina Hot 100)" Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Singles for Rauw Alejandro. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  25. ^ "Rauw Alejandro Chart History (Billboard Global Excl. US)". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  26. ^ "Perú BMAT Total Streams - Semana 29" (PDF) (in Spanish). UNIMPRO. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  27. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2021 – El Salvador" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  28. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2021 – Guatemala" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  29. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2021 – Honduras" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2021 – Panama Urbano" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  31. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – Honduras Urbano" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  32. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Certificación Fonográfica Centroamericana. Retrieved January 31, 2023.