La Cruz (singer)
Venezuelan singer and songwriter (born 1995)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alfonso La Cruz (born 11 November 1995), known professionally as La Cruz, is a Venezuelan singer and songwriter based in Madrid, Spain.
11 November 1995
Early life
Alfonso La Cruz was born in the capital city of Caracas on 11 November 1995. His family later moved to La Guaira, a coastal state in Venezuela.
At a young age, he would sing in his school's choir and would participate in festivals. At age 15, he was the opening act for R.K.M. & Ken-Y and Reykon for their tour stops in Venezuela.[1][2]
Career
In 2018, La Cruz participated to season 10 of Spanish reality-TV singing competition, Operación Triunfo.[4][5] Despite being the first to get eliminated, this TV exposure helped him continue in his music career,[6] and gained notoriety for creating reggaeton music geared towards the LGBTQ+ community.
After his elimination, La Cruz released his debut single on July 26, 2019, Universal Music Spain.[7][8] The single, Nadie Te Va Querer, accompanied by a music video, was slated to be released in June but ultimately delayed for various reasons.[9] The single was later chosen to represent Spain at the North Vision Song Contest held in Norway.
On January 21, 2022, La Cruz released the single Fotos, along with its music video.[10] On his birthday, November 11, La Cruz released his debut album, Hawaira.[11] Within this album, Te Conocí Bailando became a viral hit within the LGBTQ+ community,[12] many dubbing his music as "regayton" — a play on the words "reggaeton" and "gay".[13] In an interview with UpRoxx, La Cruz states that deciding to write songs about men was freeing after a producer encouraged to write about his “long-distance” situation with another man.[14] After the success of Te Conocí Bailando, La Cruz released a new single called, Quítate La Ropa, on 22 June 2023.[15][16] In October 2023, La Cruz grazed the cover of Stylecruze's issue 43, a weekly fashion magazine.[17] In December 2023, La Cruz was invited to Mediaset España’s Telecinco’s Christmas party known as Nochebuena Contigo,[18] where he performed his hit, Te Conocí Bailando.[19] On November 9, 2023, La Cruz released a promo-single titled Easy Boy, his first single under Sony Music España.[20][21]
In March of 2024, La Cruz lands the cover GAYLETTER, an LGBTQ+ fashion magazine.[22] On 18 July 2024, La Cruz releases his single Sahara,[23][24] which was said to be featured on an upcoming album. The accompanied music video was released simultaneously via YouTube. The second single, Fancy, was released on 26 September 2024 along with its music video.[25] In October 2024, La Cruz released his 2nd album titled, El Nene Vol.1.[26][27]
In June 2025, during Pride Month, La Cruz graced the cover of Mexican queer fashion magazine ZERO.[28] On August 19, 2025, Premios Juventud announced its nominees for its 22nd edition. La Cruz is nominated for La Nueva Generación Masculina (The New Male Generation).[29] On September 8, 2025, La Cruz uploaded on his Instagram a six second Reel teasing his upcoming single and music video — titled Arequipe, which is set to be released on September 26.[30] On an interview with Univision, La Cruz said “What I’m trying to achieve is to make an album full of varieties. I don’t want to sound like one genre”, regarding his upcoming album.[31] On September 19, Premios Juventud announced La Cruz as a presenter for its award ceremony.[32] On September 23, Maluka, a club bar, announced on their official Instagram[33] that La Cruz would be giving a special free performance the following night on September 24. This would make La Cruz’s first performance in Panamá.
On the Todo Vale podcast, La Cruz announced his upcoming EP, El Nene Vol. 2, a continuation to El Nene Vol. 1, will be released sometime in June 2026.[34]
Artistry
La Cruz grew up listening to rock and pop-rock. Through his siblings, he got introduced to reggaeton artists like Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Ivy Queen and Tego Calderon.
He also mentions listening to Latin artist Luis Fonsi[35] and credits Beyoncé as his “Queen of Pop”.[36]
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
- El Nene Vol. 1 (2024)[38]
- El Nene Vol. 2 (2026)
Singles
As lead artist
- "Nadie Te Va a Querer" (2019)
- "Qué Sé Yo" (2019)
- "Efecto" (2021)
- "Fotos" (2022)
- "La Ducati" (2022)
- "Desnudx" (2022)
- "Te Conocí Bailando" (2023)
- "Quítate La Ropa" (2023)
- "Easy Boy" (2023)
- "SAHARA" (2024)
- "FANCY" (2024)
- "Arequipe" (2025)
- "Fuerte" (2026)
- "Gata Negra" (2026)
- "Only" (2026)
As featured artist
- "Notificación" (Nay Arias featuring La Cruz) (2021)
- "Rough" (Luísa Sonza featuring La Cruz) (2024)
Videography
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Qué Se Yo” | 2019 | Antonio Wimmer | N/A | [39] |
| “Efecto” | 2021 | Alex Terrero/Edu Sáenz | [40] | |
| “Fotos” | 2022 | [41] | ||
| “LADUCATI” | [42] | |||
| “DESNUDX” | [43] | |||
| “BOULEVARD” | 2023 | [44] | ||
| “TE CONOCÍ BAILANDO” | [45] | |||
| “QUÍTATE LA ROPA” | Victor Marin | [46] | ||
| “EASY BOY” | Falcon Films | Atlantico Estudios | [47] | |
| “SAHARA” | 2024 | Victor Marin | N/A | [48] |
| “FANCY” | [49] | |||
| “PRIVADO ft. VILLANO ANTILLANO” | Daniel Eguren | [50] | ||
| “AREQUIPE” | 2025 | Victor Marin | [51] | |
| “Gata Negra” | 2026 | [52] |
Tours and performances
Headlining tours
- Promo Tour (2023)
- El Nene Tour (2024–2025)[57]
| 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| December 19 | Madrid | Spain | Sala Mon |
| 2025 | |||
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| February 19 | New York City | United States | Elsewhere |
| February 21 | Los Angeles | Beso LA | |
| March 7 | Chicago | Mansion Nightclub | |
- El Nene Showcase (Mini Tour)(2026)
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 15 | Austin | United States | SXSW (Mala Vida) |
| March 20 | São Paulo | Brazil | Coffee Party |
| March 28 | Medellin | Colombia | Club Ora Culo |
- El Nene En El Club Tour (2026)
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | Dallas | United States | Reverchon Park @ Texas Latino Pride Festival |
| September 19 | Houston | White Oak Music Hall @ La Cultura Cura | |
| September 24 | Monterrey | Mexico | Japi San Pedro |
| September 25 | Mexico City | KILENS | |
| September 26 | Morelia | Mamá No Lo Sabe |
Festivals
| 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Festival |
| March 15 | Austin | United States | Mala Vida | Warner Music House @ SXSW |
| June 3 | New York City | The Brooklyn Monarch | So.Gay Party House (Pride) | |
| June 27 | Mexico City | Mexico | Angel de La Independencia | XLV111 Marcha del Orgullo |
| July 4 | Madrid | Spain | Puerta del Sol | Madrid Pride |
| August 16 | Oakland | United States | Frank H. Ogawa Plaza | Oakland Pride |
| September 12 | Dallas | Reverchon Park | Texas Latino Pride Festival | |
TV performances
Achievements and awards
| Award | Year | Recipient (s) and nominee (s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premios Juventud | 2025 | Himself | La Nueva Generación Masculina | Nominated | [60] |
| Lo Nuestro Awards | 2026 | Himself | Male New Artist of the Year | Pending | [61][62] |
Personal life
La Cruz is openly gay. In 2017, he married his then boyfriend, at only 22 years old. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they divorced. He is currently single.[63]
Talking about his experiences being gay in the music industry, La Cruz has said he had many meetings with label executives in Latin America, but in order to obtain a record deal, he had to “sing in neutral pronouns”. He also stated to 20 Minutos, a Spanish online news outlet, that in Venezuela — his native country, he has been denied security when performing in public.[64]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Operación Triunfo S10 | Himself | La Cruz was the first evicted in the 2nd “Gala”, or live performance. | [65] |