Performance Praised Across the Board
His performance was lauded by critics and audiences alike for his portrayal of Sebastián, marking not only his debut in a major film but also his first acting experience regardless of medium. Don’t Get Ahead of the Story Álvaro Lafuente Calvo is, above all, a pop star of stature. And an exceptionally good one. On a Friday during the final show of his world tour Spanish Leather at Madrid’s Movistar Arena, he demonstrated once again that you can have it all and even invite thousands to follow you down that path, if only for one night. A Stage Set At first glance, the Movistar Arena stage appeared simple. The band stood in the background, leaving the rest of the space open as a true playground for Guitarricadelafuente.
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DC Batman Sequel Faces Further Delays Amid Franchise ExpansionLighting soon revealed the floor covered in sand, an extension of the visual language of Spanish Leather, which includes Old West symbols, arid landscapes, and horses. Unfazed, when the singer stepped onto the stage to the enthusiastic roar of a packed crowd, he wore golden cowboy boots. Setting the Tone Immediately He wasted no time creating the show’s atmosphere, opening with „Full time papi,” the single that paved the way for the album’s massive success. Besides being an undeniable hit, the melody highlights another theme that has run through the album and his entire career: queerness. Besides being a pop star and now a leading actor, Guitarricadelafuente is also a queer iconoclast. While this label could be a burden for many artists, he thrives on the attention. He is, essentially, the most charming boy in any room he enters and he knows it.
All of Spain already knows this.
The show was built around this aspect: constant costume changes
The show was built around this aspect: constant costume changes, an onstage camera tracking every movement and facial expression for the crowd to admire. In moments like during „Poses,” this play reached a fever pitch when he removed his shirt and danced on the sand, sending the arena into a trance. More Than Just Visual Appeal Yet there is far more to a Guitarricadelafuente concert than just visual appeal. Before becoming today’s star, his compositions and sincere lyrics had turned him into a favorite of the local indie circuit. The concert left room for acoustic, stripped-down renditions of classics like „Guantanamera” and „Mil y una noches,” accompanied by the voices of those who had supported him from the beginning.
If the evening was designed to showcase all facets of the artist, another awaited behind the curtain: the political one. A Dedication That Sparked Action Guitarricadelafuente made a point of dedicating „La Puerta del Sol” to those who had camped for a week in the heart of Madrid, just a few blocks from the arena, demanding solutions to the housing crisis. This dedication paved the way for a more explicit political intervention later in the show, when multimedia artist Samantha Hudson appeared via live video from the encampment, urging attendees to join the Saturday housing protest, sending the crowd into joy. It was a fitting addition to an evening that included everything, including a few homages to his budding acting career. Midway through the show, Guitarricadelafuente took the stage wearing a lasso on his shoulder, a gesture inspired by his character Sebastián from La Bola Negra.
He then performed „La Nieve,” the song he co-wrote for the film, while scenes from the movie were projected on screens behind him. Later, during „Agua y Mezcal,” he descended into the crowd, where cameras caught his stagemates Miguel Bernardeau and Carlos González dancing alongside him. A Finale of Contrasts The show ultimately ended with two radically different pieces, fitting for an evening that fluidly alternated between spectacle and craft, between pop star and small-town songwriter. The first was „BABIECA!,” the song that led Guitarrica’s crossover to the US, taking him to stages like Tiny Desk and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
