On the surface, this work might appear more like a difficult academic quiz rather than the latest popular music project by a musician who just had a last hit featured a global pop icon. Broken across four separate parts and sung in thirteen languages, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged album that delves into female mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily transformation, frequently by way of the prism of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot skyward on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars look quite laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in escape dry academic posturing is almost miraculous, and complete credit going to the artist. While it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, the scale are much higher here, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that truly raises her fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Similar to the iconic artist during her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, you still want to stay right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
This playful energy comes forth clearly during the stunning Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds in with cartoonish force. The track then shifts into the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic with this album is that the listener rarely quite know—or even want to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly each track ends in a totally distinct place from how it started. One moment examines the transient trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating in digital cacophony. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work begins off dark and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility
A key achievement on the album involves navigating the line of radical innovation and broad appeal. It is no surprise that the album has become the artist's first work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in English builds on a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious hooks as it spirals upward. That feat gets repeated by another powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album represents pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried gems that takes patience to completely explore but never feels like a chore. Where other big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous banquet where the characters at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit from conversations about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
