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Initially, this album could seem closer to an arduous academic quiz than a new pop record from an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Divided into four distinct movements and sung in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic opus that delves into female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently through the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—is launched heavenward on this record, supported by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the efforts of other pop stars appear quite small.

Transcending Academic Pretense

The fact that this album succeeds in avoid dry intellectual posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, with complete credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its stakes are far higher here, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that really elevates her fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist during her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay alongside her for the journey.

A Signature Example of Joy

This exuberant energy shines clearly on a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy for more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds in like cartoonish impact. The song then segues into the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from the artist herself.

"The charm of this album is that the listener never exactly understand—or even wish to predict—where it will go next."

Almost each track concludes in a totally different point than how it began. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating in electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work starts out dark and sinister, with prowling beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth the song's rough edges.

The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility

Another crucial achievement of the album is straddling the gap of radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals upward. This feat gets repeated on another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.

• A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
• In its words, it aligns the pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
• Throughout the album, the singing have a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."

A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul

This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in excess. This is an abundant well of buried gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish feast where the guests at it, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about historical figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.