At first glance, this work may look more like a challenging university challenge than the latest popular music project from a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Split across four different parts and voiced in thirteen languages, it is a breathtaking symphonic work investigating female mystique, religious ascent, and physical transformation, often via the prism of various female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within a long roll call of contributors. The pure daring by itself makes the work of other artists seem quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in escape overly intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to blend the past with modern styles, its scale are much higher here, with the tightrope walk more precarious. The element that truly raises this fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, dense compositions, and engrained drama, is a core sense of fun. Much like the legendary artist at her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she is tearing your heart apart, you still desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly during the stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top orchestral surge thuds in with comedic impact. The song immediately shifts to the wild track driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm of this album lies in you never exactly know—nor want to predict—where you is going next."
Almost each track finishes in a totally different place than where it began. One moment examines the transient nature of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing in electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused work starts out dark and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of the album is straddling the line of bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that it has become the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in the English language builds around a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks as it spins upward. This trick gets echoed on another powerful ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number charms with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of other breakup songs, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A Art amid of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own built-in excess. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that takes patience to fully explore but never feels like hard work. While other big releases of the year felt like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous feast where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
