At first glance, this work may look closer to a challenging scholarly quiz rather than a new pop project by an artist who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split into four different sections and voiced in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged opus that delves into female mystique, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, often by way of the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a theme treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—is launched heavenward here, buoyed by the lush presence of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary artists seem quite small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album manages to avoid dry academic posturing is nearly a miracle, and complete praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to blend the past with the present, its stakes are far greater here, with the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that really elevates her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk at her peak, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she's tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to be right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on the stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy for more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge thuds down like cartoonish force. The song immediately segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album is that you never exactly understand—or even want to predict—what it will go next."
Nearly each track ends in a completely distinct point from where it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic style starts off dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
A key achievement of the album involves navigating the gap between bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in English builds around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals skyward. That feat is repeated by a different powerful track that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album represents pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism for sublime elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden gems that takes patience to fully explore but never feels like hard work. Where some big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous feast where the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
