Inside Their End-of-Year Reggaeton Bash

On Saturday night, the famed reggaeton duo Jowell & Randy capped off what was undoubtedly one of the most impressive runs of their career with a historic concert at San Juan’s famous José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. The acclaimed stars had sold out six dates over the last two weekends, playing their hits for nearly three hours every one of those nights.

The concert series was billed as the first to incorporate 3D technology at El Choli, with staff handing out special glasses to all attendees at the entrance. Once the lights dimmed, a pre-recorded skit played, featuring both Jowell and Randy interacting with popular local comedian and TV personality Raymond Arrieta. During the segment, which plays out as a fake morning show interview, Arrieta gives the duo a magic remote control with which they can “change channels” and shift reality, warning them to use the power wisely. Obviously, they don’t, because where’s the fun in that? 

A wormhole appeared on the screens and a sign prompted fans to put on their glasses, with a tunnel taking shape. All the while, various props and set dressings moved onto the stage to make it look like a dystopian cityscape. Then, the classic sample of Chaka Demus & Pliers’ “Murder She Wrote” rang out, igniting the crowd who recognized the opening notes of Jowell & Randy’s 2007 hit “Un Poco Loca.” In no time the twosome appear onstage, dressed in absurd muscle suits made to look like superhero costumes. Robots appeares with long mechanical tendrils that stretch out towards the audience in 3D; this was the “Sci-Fi Channel,” the first of five settings the concert visits throughout the night.

Over the half dozen nights of music, various guests made appearances to show their love for Jowell & Randy. Before Saturday, names like Miky Woodz, Dei V, Tito El Bambino, Yailin La Mas Viral, Zion, and Young Miko had stopped by to regale the audience with some of their collab joints. Zion and Miko came back on the last night; Miko was loudly received by the screaming crowd as she and the duo sang their hit “ID.”

At the end of each part of the concert, Jowell and Randy would segue into a quick skit where they’d use the magic remote control to reconfigure reality again. Each time, a 3D video would pop up while the stage was redressed. A horse-drawn carriage gave way to a “Western” theme, and after that, the stage became an animated “Cartoon” world with backup dancers dressed as funny animals and mascots. The duo is known for making perreo that has zero filter when it comes to  sex, and their show leaned into that with a sense of humor at times, most hilariously when some of the mascots began “getting it on” onstage. Randy slid up behind one pair of mascots, saying, “I dunno if there’s a guy or girl in there, but fuck it.”

It’s been a hectic year for Jowell & Randy, as 2024 saw them release two full-length LPs, both with their respective tours. (The second, Mazorkeo.com, recently made Rolling Stone’s list of 50 Best Latin Albums of 2024.) The duo also joined fellow artists at the Festival de La Esperanza rally, in an effort to bring out the vote for then-candidate for governor Juan Dalmau. Jowell, for his part, has continued lobbying for a music school dedicated to urban music, which has long been a passion project of his.

They two have been making music since they were teens, and longtime fans remember how in the early-2000s they were often overlooked and relegated to the last handful of songs on compilation albums like Kilates, The Majestic, and others. Things  began to turn for the better when they signed to White Lion Records, and took off in full steam after the release of their Arcángel collab “Agresivo” in 2006. Ten albums later, they’re now considered one of the top reggaetón duos of the genre. When Bad Bunny brought them out during his 2022 livestreamed concert to celebrate the release of Un Verano Sin Ti,  he introduced them as “the best reggaeton duo ever.” Benito’s admiration for them has translated into multiple collaborations on stage and in the recording booth, going so far as to quietly penning a few tracks on their 2020 album Viva el Perreo.

Back at the concert, with another click of the remote control the stage transformed into a “Horror” theme. Respectively dressed as a bedazzled Jason Voorhees and Chucky doll, Jowell & Randy sang hits like “Chulo Sin H,” “Soy Una Gárgola,” and “Rastrillea” as dancers wearing Freddy Krueger, Valak the Nun, and Art the Clown get-ups twerked and danced behind them.

The fifth and final “channel” was a Christmas-themed world, with Randy promising the crowd special gifts for them. They did not disappoint, as a high-energy De La Ghetto came onstage to sing many of their numerous songs together, going back over a decade. The crowd’s enthusiasm was raised even more when Arcángel made an appearance. The foursome’s rendition of “Agresivo” in particular brought the house down, as neon Christmas symbols floated in the background in 3D.

And then the show closed with “Safaera,” the tremendous megahit off Bad Bunny’s 2020 album YHLQMDLG that has become one of the most ubiquitous perreo songs of the genre. Floating sharks were lowered from the ceiling to “swim” around over Jowell & Randy, as a nod to the song’s sample of the Alexis & Fido song “El Tiburón.” As they sang the first half of the song, a human-sized Christmas gift box was discreetly brought to the stage. Right as they reached the track’s bridge, a spotlight shined on the box as Jowell and Randy took a pause. The crowd cheered, suspecting what was about to happen. “Call him,” yelled Randy to the fans. “Call him!”

Suddenly, Bad Bunny walked out of the box and made the “Choliseo” shake. With a bottle of pitorro in hand, he and Jowell & Randy closed out the evening — and all six events — in an epic way that also brought one last rush of Christmas cheer to their fans. For a duo that has spent 24 years working to get there, it was a creative and energetic realization long in the making that proved they’ve earned their title as “los más sueltos.”