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On the surface, this album might appear closer to a difficult scholarly quiz rather than a new popular music album by a musician whose previous hit featured a global K-pop star. Broken into four distinct parts and voiced in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus exploring feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily transformation, often via the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched skyward here, carried by the constant presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather modest.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

The fact that this album manages to avoid dry academic posturing is nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its ambitions are much greater here, with the balancing act far more dramatic. What really elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, is a core sense of fun. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay right there for the ride.

A Prime Example of Exuberance

That playful energy shines brightly on the stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, everything drops silent, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down with comedic force. The song then shifts to the frenetic single driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.

"The magic with this album is that you rarely quite understand—or even wish to predict—where you is going to next."

Nearly each song finishes at a completely different place from how it started. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate orchestration before collapsing into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous trap-infused style begins out moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's rough edges.

The Balance Between Experiment & Pop

Another crucial balancing act of the album involves straddling the line of bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in English builds around a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. This trick is echoed by another expansive ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining layered tunes like a complex tapestry.

• A waltz-like number charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
• In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
• Across the album, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."

A Maximalist Feast for the Soul

This album represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its built-in excess. This is an abundant well of buried gems that takes patience to fully explore but never feels like a chore. Where some major pop albums of 2025 seemed like a meager scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast where the guests around the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly creative visionary.