On the surface, this work might appear closer to a difficult academic quiz rather than the latest pop record by an artist whose last single featured a global pop star. Split into four different sections and sung in 13 languages, this is a breathtaking symphonic album that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently through the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—soars skyward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a long list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of contemporary artists look rather laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to transcend overly intellectual posturing feels nearly miraculous, with full credit going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time album to fuse historical sounds with the present, the scale are far higher here, with the balancing act more precarious. What truly raises her fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts in two, you still want to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
That playful spirit shines brightly during the stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Suddenly, everything falls away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a comically over-the-top orchestral surge crashes down with cartoonish force. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in the listener rarely quite understand—nor wish to predict—what you will go next."
Nearly each track finishes in a totally different place from where it started. A track explores the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight symphony before collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous rhythmic style begins off dark and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly choir arrive to soften its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album involves straddling the line between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that the album has achieved the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language builds around a chorus that seems to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins skyward. This trick is echoed on another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting an ex- lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its own built-in excess. It is a deep well of hidden gems that requires patience to fully mine but never seem like a chore. Where some big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record offers a lavish banquet at which the guests around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about ancient figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about useless partners. It is a modern-day musical from music's most endlessly inventive visionary.
