Rosalía Vila Tobella, otherwise known as Rosalía or “La Rosalía,” is a 33-year-old Spanish singer, songwriter, and producer. She’s known for blending flamenco with genres like pop, hip-hop, and reggaeton. Her debut album, Los Ángeles (2017), focuses on a traditional flamenco sound. Her second album, El Mal Querer (2018), is a cohesive sound that is meant to be experienced like an audiobook. Each track is titled “Capítulo” (which means “chapter” in English). Then in 2022, she released her third album MOTOMAMI. The album features a blend of reggaeton, pop, and electronic beats that incorporate other styles.
Now, with her fourth new album, LUX, which came out earlier this month, she tells a different story.
The album represents freedom, feminine mystique, transformation, and religion. It features 13 languages and includes a 15-track list. It focuses on an emotional, classical, and operatic sound. Many artists, such as Björk and the London Symphony Orchestra, are featured throughout LUX.
She prepared herself for this album by studying different cultures, languages, and saints, to compose the record the way she wanted it to be. Aesthetically, the album shows soft colors and crosses that help represent its look. In Le Monde magazine, Rosalía described the album by mentioning her relationship with God: “I feel like God has given me so much, the least I could do is make an album for him.” She also mentioned in Billboard magazine that she “fought for every word” on the album, making it worth it and meaningful to her.
As a Rosalía fan myself, I really loved LUX. Even though it was a different vibe from her other projects, I’m really enjoying this new era of hers. You can tell how much work and effort she put into this album, and it’s probably become one of my favorites.
The dedication she always puts into all of her works is one of the main reasons why I appreciate her as an artist, and why she’s one of my all-time favorites. I would say my top three songs from the album, as of now, are “Reliquia,” “La Perla,” and “Dios Es Un Stalker.”
