At first glance, this work might appear more like a challenging university quiz than a new pop project from a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Broken into four distinct sections and performed in thirteen tongues, this is a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus exploring female mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often by way of the prism of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, carried by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. The pure audacity alone renders the work of contemporary artists look rather laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, with full credit going to the artist. While it's not the first time album to alchemize the past and modern styles, the scale feel much higher here, with the balancing act far more dramatic. What truly raises this fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk during her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she is breaking your heart in two, you still desire to stay right there through the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines clearly on a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops away, and there's a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo crashes down like comedic impact. The track immediately segues to the wild single featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in you rarely exactly understand—or even wish to predict—where you will go to next."
Almost each song ends in a totally different place than how it began. One moment explores the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony before collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a song that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused work begins out moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act on the album is navigating the gap of bold innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's first release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins skyward. This feat is echoed by a different powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for high artistry amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of buried gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like a chore. While some big releases of 2025 seemed like a meager scraps, this record is a lavish banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
