From the tennis court to music, and eventually to SANTOS BRAVOS, Alejandro’s journey has been shaped by a series of moments that, in hindsight, feel almost inevitable. Having found a team he wants to stay with forever, he now looks back on every step that led him here as fate.

Happy belated birthday! (This interview was conducted in April 2026.) Korean fans even put up subway ads to celebrate your birthday. Are you starting to realize just how popular you’ve become lately?
Alejandro: (in Korean) Birthday! Oh, it was so cool. Seeing the ads made me really happy. I also saw the coffee truck fans sent during music show promotions, along with the support truck outside the HYBE headquarters. I’m really grateful that I can feel so much love from fans even here in Korea. That’s why I always try to give that same love back whenever I can.

What was your first experience on Korean music shows like?
Alejandro: Out of everything I’ve experienced in Korea so far, promoting on music shows is probably what stands out to me the most. Every time I stepped onstage or filmed a challenge, it almost felt like a game. After just a quick rehearsal, you had to immediately memorize camera positions, stage blocking, and all these little details. I was also really impressed by how organized everything was, from the makeup and styling to the entire system behind the scenes. I loved getting to watch so many artists perform live, too. And honestly, I especially loved the ending shots. Being able to share the stage with K-pop artists I’ve admired for so long was incredible in itself. TOMORROW X TOGETHER, who are also part of the HYBE family, were promoting at the same time, and I got to meet TWS’s SHINYU, who was MC-ing on “SBS INKIGAYO.” Moments like that really made me feel like we’re all part of one family.

You were speaking quite a bit of Korean on set today—things like, “What’s your name?” and “Nice to meet you.” It seems like you practiced a lot before coming to Korea.
Alejandro: When I met LE SSERAFIM, I even said, “Noona, you’re so beautiful.” I think trying to speak each other’s language is a way of showing love. And honestly, I just think it’s really fun, too. Since I’m a foreigner in Korea, I feel like it’s important to help people feel comfortable around me. Even when I went to Paris for Fashion Week, I tried to speak as much French as I could. (shows a list of Korean phrases saved in his phone notes) I actually keep a little list of words and phrases like this. Things like, “What’s this?” or “I’m happy.”

You’re from Lima, Peru. In the past, you’ve said, “I proudly come from Lima, Peru.” How have your Peruvian roots shaped you as an artist today?
Alejandro: That’s such a great question. I’m incredibly proud to be from Peru. I’m proud of how hard Peruvian artists work to gain more recognition around the world. I also think Peruvians naturally live with a lot of love and care for one another, so as someone from Peru, I want to share that side of us with more people, too. There still aren’t many artists from Peru in this industry, so I feel a responsibility to set a good example. And I know there are so many people in Peru supporting me and showing me love. Because of that, I really feel like the love I try to give is finding its way back to me, too.

You’ve also said before that your dream is to live in the jungle surrounded by snakes and anacondas. Peru is home to incredible natural landscapes like Machu Picchu, the Andes, and the Amazon rainforest—do you think growing up around that kind of environment shaped the way you see the world?
Alejandro: Peru feels like a time machine to me. It’s a place that’s still holding onto so much of its past, and I think the reason people there haven’t changed all that much is because nature itself has remained unchanged too. We live in such a modern, technology-driven world now, and there aren’t many countries where nature still feels like the center of life. But Peru is deeply connected to its land. I think there’s something really important about the fact that people continue carrying on those older ways of living through that connection to nature.

You were also a tennis player in Peru starting at the age of four.
Alejandro: I gained so much from tennis. More than anything, it taught me discipline. Tennis requires a lot of discipline, and I think that mindset naturally carried over into the rest of my life. It also naturally led me toward a healthier lifestyle, because I became more aware of taking care of my body. And I think it gave me a healthy sense of competition, too—not really with other people, but with myself, always wanting to become a better version of who I was before.

You started out as a tennis player, but began singing at 13. After your debut, you even revisited the Ed Sheeran “Perfect” cover you filmed back then with the other SANTOS BRAVOS members. What was that like for you?
Alejandro: It’s so embarrassing. (laughs) That video was literally the first time I’d ever filmed myself singing. Looking back on it now, I feel like so much has changed, but at the same time, there are parts of me that haven’t changed at all. The Alejandro who was singing that song back then still feels very present inside me. Sometimes it even feels like I’m still back home in Peru, singing “Perfect” in my house all over again. I don’t think that part of me will ever change.

You made your debut as a singer-songwriter in 2022 with your own music. Was there a particular reason you decided to step into something completely new by joining a global Latin band through HYBE Latin America?
Alejandro: Honestly, I was just naturally drawn to it. It never really felt like there was another path for me. One day, I just woke up and found myself becoming part of SANTOS BRAVOS. I really believe everything that’s happened in my life so far was meant to happen. I actually left university right before graduating, and back then, all I ever imagined for myself was singing songs I’d written on my own. I never once pictured myself dancing. So, from becoming part of SANTOS BRAVOS to sitting here in Korea doing this interview now, everything somehow feels connected—like fate. In the end, I think every choice and every moment led me to the place I was always meant to be.

You once said that you’d never even imagined yourself dancing, but now it’s become such a huge part of your everyday life. It feels like you’ve really grown into something you once couldn’t picture for yourself.
Alejandro: Up until about a year ago, I honestly didn’t know how to dance at all. So I gave it everything I had. I studied performance videos and stage clips from all kinds of artists, using them as references, and practiced until dawn. I once asked Son (Sungdeuk Son, Executive Creator at HYBE America)—who worked on BTS’s performances—“How do you become a good dancer?” And he told me, “Time is the only answer.” That really stayed with me. I realized that however much time you put in eventually shows onstage, so even now, I’m still spending most of my days practicing. Honestly, I don’t think I was born with some special talent. I think my talent is hard work. Every experience and every process I’ve gone through in life has shaped who I am now. I truly believe that if you don’t give up, you’ll keep getting better. And maybe there are people watching me grow who feel motivated or encouraged by that too. That’s why I’m never going to give up. No talent. Just hard work.

It seems like you think very deeply about your work. You’ve said before that even when you’re just listening to music, you imagine different versions of yourself inside the song. When you were recording “DUAL,” what kinds of images or emotions were you holding onto for each track?
Alejandro: For “FE,” I imagined myself going through heartbreak—lying in bed, wondering whether I should text that person or not. For “MHM,” I pictured myself completely falling in love. And for “VELOCIDADE,” I imagined myself getting ready for a night out and going to a party.

On “KAWASAKI,” you showed a lower, more intense side of your voice, while your cover of “Bad Desire” highlighted your higher range. You’ve been revealing a lot of different vocal colors lately—is there a direction you want to explore more going forward?
Alejandro: I was really happy hearing people say that my voice works well in chorus parts. I think there’s something kind of addictive and powerful about my higher range. But moving forward, I want to challenge myself more with lower tones in SANTOS BRAVOS too. I think lower-register vocals can create a sense of mystery and make people curious. It also feels like a way for me to show a darker, more “BRAVO” side of myself. And honestly, one of my biggest goals right now is writing songs again. The thought that one day I might be able to write music for SANTOS BRAVOS is something that really moves me and keeps pushing me forward.

When introducing “DUAL,” you said, “Everyone has dual sides to themselves. People can have cute, bright moments, but also cool and intense ones.” In that sense, it’s interesting that you’ve described yourself as quiet and shy, while your MBTI result came out as ENFJ.
Alejandro: Oh, ENFJ. I think everyone has dual sides to them. I definitely do too, and in my case, those sides can feel pretty different from each other—like the version of me in everyday life versus the version of me onstage. When I was younger, I was extremely shy. I could barely answer people when they talked to me. Since I started playing tennis so young and trained in such an intense environment, I think I grew up believing that was the only side of myself that existed. But after I found music, my “I” side slowly started becoming more of an “E” side, and I realized I also had a very sensitive side to me. My “SANTO” side is the sentimental boy who loves everyone. But I also have a “BRAVO” side. That one’s a little harder to explain. Maybe it comes out when I wear black clothes, or in moments when people see me as a little more sexy—even when I’m not trying to be. When I’m onstage in that mode, I don’t feel afraid of anything, and I probably come across a little rebellious too. But it’s still a kind of rebellion that stays within my own boundaries. These days, I think both my “I” and “E” sides show up pretty equally. Especially when I’m with the SANTOS BRAVOS members, I feel comfortable enough to show more of my natural self.

I remember you once describing yourself as having a “sensitive nature.”
Alejandro: When I first entered the SANTOS BRAVOS camp, I became so focused on making everything perfect performance-wise that I slowly started to feel like I was losing myself. There were times when I couldn’t properly express my emotions for months, and I’d go cry alone in the bathroom. That was when I started asking myself, “Why did I come here?” I spent a lot of time sorting through my emotions and my values, and I think that experience really shaped the person I am today. I don’t think my sensitive side is ever going to change. These days, sensitivity is often treated like a weakness. But honestly, I see it as my greatest strength—and a blessing. When I connect with DUAL, I feel like those emotions become a bridge that brings us closer together.

Watching you bow deeply to DUAL (the fandom name of SANTOS BRAVOS) and get emotional while speaking to fans, I could really sense that sensitivity in you. It was incredibly striking to see.
Alejandro: I feel a really deep connection with DUAL. I truly believe we’re only here because of them. That’s probably why I end up posting on Weverse so often. Sometimes fans will tell me things like, “Today was really hard,” or “I did badly on my exam,” and open up about how sad they feel. In moments like that, it means a lot to me knowing that maybe a single word from me could ease some of that sadness, or even turn someone’s worst day into a better one. I think the relationship I have with DUAL is built on mutual love. We’ve become a safe space for each other. Sometimes I receive love from them, and sometimes I’m able to give that love back. That’s why I’ve never thought of our communication as just fan service. Someday, I really want to give every single one of them a hug.

Now that the five of you are moving forward together as SANTOS BRAVOS alongside DUAL, what brings you the most joy about this chapter of your life?
Alejandro: Having people I can share every moment with—having a family—means everything to me. Before this, everything I did was something I carried on my own: tennis, studying, songwriting, even being a solo artist. I spent so much of my life alone, and now suddenly there are five of us sharing everything together. Because of that, I feel like there’s so much more in my life that I’m able to share with other people too. I think that’s really beautiful. (in Korean) SANTOS BRAVOS forever.