Initially, this work might appear closer to a difficult academic examination rather than the latest popular music project from an artist who just had a last hit featured an international K-pop icon. Broken into four separate movements and voiced in thirteen tongues, this is a breathtaking symphonic work investigating female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, frequently via the prism of various saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a long list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing feels nearly miraculous, and full credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, its stakes feel much higher here, and the balancing act more precarious. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core sense of fun. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to stay alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in with comedic force. The track then shifts to the wild track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The charm with this album lies in you never quite understand—or even wish to know—where it will go to next."
Almost each song finishes at a completely different point from how it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a delicate symphony before collapsing in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off dark and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to soften its rough edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act on the album is navigating the gap between radical experimentation and broad appeal. It is no coincidence that it has become her highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in English builds on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly infectious hooks while it spirals upward. This trick is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural impact of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its inherent excess. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes time to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. Where other big releases of 2025 felt like a meager meal, this record offers a sumptuous feast where the guests around it, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flit between discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly inventive visionary.
