A Fleet from the Future: The Blacked-Out DeLoreans in Rauw Alejandro’s “Lejos del Cielo”
July 13, 2025
In the ever-evolving world of Latin music, visuals have become as vital as sound itself. Rauw Alejandro, one of the most dynamic forces in reggaeton and Latin pop, has understood this better than most. For his 2022 single Lejos del Cielo, directed by the visionary Stillz, Rauw stepped beyond the typical tropical or urban video formula and embraced a bold, sci-fi-inspired aesthetic. At the center of this ambitious project was a fleet of blacked-out DeLoreans — the kind of iconic automotive detail that instantly sparks curiosity and embeds itself in pop culture memory.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a car that transcends its status as a mere vehicle. Immortalized by the Back to the Future film trilogy, the DeLorean has come to represent time travel, retro-futurism, and the fascinating intersection of nostalgia and imagination. But in Lejos del Cielo, these cars weren’t shining silver, nor did they shimmer under bright California sun. Instead, they appeared in full matte black, each one exuding an aura of mystery and danger.
This deliberate visual twist turned a cultural icon into something new — a fleet of blacked-out machines that looked less like time-traveling companions and more like spacecraft ready for an interstellar escape. It was a subtle yet powerful statement, aligning perfectly with the song’s dreamy, space-themed narrative.
Shot at an abandoned power plant in Oxnard, California, the video’s location alone carried a haunting, post-apocalyptic tone. Empty concrete corridors, vast industrial silos, and stark open spaces provided a cold yet captivating backdrop. In this setting, the DeLoreans almost appeared like a futuristic army awaiting their pilot. Their matte finishes helped them blend into the darkness, their sharp lines and gull-wing doors highlighted only by strategic neon glows and moody film lighting.
These cars were sourced through ERA Picture Cars, a specialty automotive rental company known for providing vintage and rare vehicles for film and music productions. The decision to black them out wasn’t just about aesthetics — it was a narrative tool. The darkness symbolized distance, coldness, and an emotional void that mirrored the lyrical themes of heartbreak and longing in Lejos del Cielo (“Far from the Sky”). While the original DeLorean design symbolizes adventure and hopeful escape, these versions suggested a journey inward, to places far less comforting.
Behind the camera, Stillz, renowned for his work with Bad Bunny and other genre-bending artists, played with analog film techniques to heighten the otherworldly feel. He used an Arricam ST with 50D and 500T Kodak film stocks, known for their rich texture and dynamic range. Instead of relying on clean digital shots, the grain and imperfections of film brought an unexpected warmth to the icy scene — a visual echo of the emotional contradictions found in the song.
Rauw himself appeared dressed in futuristic streetwear, his outfits featuring glossy, reflective textures that played off the matte cars around him. At one moment, he is shown alone among the DeLoreans, gazing up at a blood-red moon, underscoring his isolation and internal struggle. In another, he leans against the open gull-wing door, embodying both vulnerability and quiet defiance.
Stillz’s direction leaned into minimalism, letting each frame breathe. The focus was not on crowded choreography or flashy urban backdrops but on atmosphere — a calculated blend of sci-fi, noir, and urban melancholy. The DeLoreans weren’t simply props; they were silent characters themselves, reinforcing the tension between escape and stagnation.
While the video won praise for its daring visuals, the use of the DeLoreans specifically sparked fascination across fan circles and automotive blogs. Car enthusiasts immediately recognized the choice as a bold reinterpretation of a classic. By opting for black matte finishes, Stillz and Rauw managed to detach the DeLorean from its usual ’80s nostalgia context and place it firmly into a new narrative, one that was modern, brooding, and unapologetically experimental.
Social media quickly filled with speculative posts. Fans wondered if the cars hinted at a conceptual album or a new cinematic universe Rauw was building through his visuals. Others admired the mere aesthetic — a perfect blend of retro iconography and futuristic rebellion. On Instagram, behind-the-scenes snippets showed the blacked-out cars under rigged lighting rigs, as crew members adjusted fog machines to get the perfect haze.
The creative team also tapped into the cultural moment. In recent years, there has been a revived fascination with all things cyberpunk, vaporwave, and dystopian-futuristic. From fashion runways to film, this dark, tech-inspired aesthetic resonates with a generation that feels both hopeful and cynical about the future. The blacked-out DeLoreans fit seamlessly into this zeitgeist, providing a bridge between a legendary past and an imagined tomorrow.
Moreover, the visual choice highlighted Rauw Alejandro’s artistic ambitions. It signaled that he wasn’t just making music for radio play — he was crafting an entire universe, one where sound, image, and narrative coexisted in perfect tension. By enlisting Stillz and allowing such a visually driven concept to unfold, Rauw placed himself among artists who see their work as multidimensional art rather than simple entertainment.
In many ways, the DeLoreans served as vessels for both literal and emotional journeys. They carried the viewer not through time, as they did with Marty McFly, but into Rauw’s internal world — a place of pain, distance, and fragile hope. The matte black surfaces reflected no light, almost like black holes absorbing the energy around them, emphasizing the song’s theme of an unreachable emotional sky.
Ultimately, the Lejos del Cielo video stands as one of the most memorable music visuals of 2022, and its blacked-out DeLoreans remain central to that memory. They remind us that sometimes the best way to tell a story is not through words or melody alone, but through images so striking they demand their own narrative.
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