Don’t remind Rauw Alejandro about the first time he performed in front of a crowd! He was the halftime entertainment for a basketball game in Puerto Rico “and it was a mess,” he tells Rolling Stone for an episode of The First Time.

“I don’t like to remember that first time,” says Rolling Stone’s cover star with a laugh. “But those experiences make you stronger and bigger. … It was with a karaoke microphone in front of 1,000 people, singing a song that no one knows.”

Even if he was bumpin’ his signature moves, the crowd definitely wasn’t feeling it. He adds, “People were probably like ‘Who the heck is this kid? Move! I want to see the game.’ It was bad. It was bad.”