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On the surface, this work may look more like a difficult scholarly challenge than a new pop record from a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global pop icon. Broken into four separate movements and sung in 13 languages, this is a breathtaking symphonic work that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often through the prism of various female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward here, supported by the lush presence of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the efforts of other pop stars look quite modest.

Transcending Academic Exercise

The fact that this album succeeds in avoid dry academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to fuse the past with modern styles, the scale feel far greater here, and the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that really elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of fun. Much like the legendary artist during her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to be right there through the journey.

A Prime Moment of Exuberance

This playful energy comes forth clearly on a stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration prior to a comically exaggerated string surge crashes down like comedic impact. The track then segues to the frenetic single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.

"The magic of this album is that you rarely quite know—or even want to predict—where you will go to next."

Nearly every song finishes in a totally distinct point from how it started. A track explores the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a song echoing her previous trap-infused work begins out moody and brooding, with prowling vocals, before fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften the song's rough edges.

The Balance Of Experiment and Pop

A key balancing act on the album is straddling the line of bold innovation and broad accessibility. This is little surprise that the album has become her first work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. One track performed primarily in English swells around a refrain that seems to gather increasingly nagging melodies as it spirals upward. This trick is repeated by a different expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like an intricate weave.

• A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
• Lyrically, it aligns the cultural impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
• Across the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."

An Opulent Banquet for the Soul

This album is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art amid of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes patience to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While other major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record offers a lavish banquet at which the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flutter between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly endlessly creative visionary.