Initially, this album might appear more like a challenging university quiz than a new popular music album by an artist whose previous single featured a global pop icon. Split into 4 separate movements and sung in 13 languages, this is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced work exploring female mystery, religious transcendence, and physical transformation, often via the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars heavenward here, carried by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone renders the efforts of other artists appear rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in escape overly academic posturing is almost miraculous, with sole praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its scale are far higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that really raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be a core sense of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay right there through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant spirit shines brightly on the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, all the music falls away, and there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment prior to a comically over-the-top string surge crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track then shifts to the frenetic single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener rarely exactly understand—or even want to predict—where it is going to next."
Almost each track finishes at a totally different point than how it started. A track explores the transient nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic style begins out dark and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Of Art & Pop
Another crucial balancing act on the album involves navigating the gap between bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in English builds on a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals upward. That feat is echoed by another powerful ballad that expands and constricts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of impending artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its built-in excess. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes time to fully explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While other major releases of 2025 seemed like a meager meal, this record offers a lavish banquet where the characters around the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly restlessly creative visionary.
