At first glance, this album might appear closer to an arduous university quiz than the latest pop project from a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Divided into four different movements and voiced in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring feminine mystery, religious ascent, and bodily change, often via the lens of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched upwards on this record, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer daring alone renders the efforts of other pop stars seem quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That this album succeeds in avoid overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, and complete praise belonging to Rosalía. While it's not the first time album to alchemize the past with the present, its stakes are far greater here, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. What truly raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, the listener still want to be alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines brightly on a stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Then, everything drops silent, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds down with cartoonish force. The track then segues to the wild single driven by racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in you never quite know—or even want to predict—where you will go to next."
Almost every song ends at a completely different place than how it began. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic style starts off moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
A key achievement of the album involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is no surprise that it has achieved her highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in the English language builds around a refrain that feels to collect more and more infectious melodies as it spins upward. That trick gets echoed on a different expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its own built-in excess. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that requires patience to completely mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous feast where the guests at it, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most restlessly creative visionary.
