These were the words of Catalonia-native Rosalía Vila Tobella, known mononymously as Rosalía, on the first time she ever heard flamenco music. Currently, she’s responsible for transforming this ‘purest thing’ into a pop sensation through her latest 2nd LP, El Mal Querer.
Digging into her Catalonian roots, the 25-year-old was influenced by a 14th century Occitan novel Flamenca, involving a toxic relationship – now spilled out within a 30-minute long LP including 11 songs, each song resembling a chapter of emotion (which I’ve translated to english in the song titles). Whilst the album may not seem to hold the authentic flamenco roots of her debut LP Los Ángeles, the assistance of experimental producer El Guincho in sonically converging this with pop and R&B has redefined the genre and put Rosalía on a pop sensation pedestal. Having already accrued millions of views for her music videos, as well as her first international TV appearance on Jools Holland recently, Rosalía is undoubtedly treading quickly in the current waters of the international pop scene – perhaps a sign of great things to come…
The inception of the LP immediately exudes such tropes of flamenco as palmas – syncopated hand-clapping which shape the all-inclusive beat of her first single ‘Malamente: Augury’. Clipped synth chords and tight production on this track allow Rosalía’s vocal range to colourise this bleakly-delivered slogan of ‘malamente’ (translated as ‘badly’). Not only does this track provide our first taste of her phenomenal arabic-style flamenco vocals, but also invites us into her personal world of Catalonia through her iconoclastic music videos.
For some of us, the language barrier may disrupt our overall enjoyment and connection to her music. Personally, I find Rosalía transcends these linguistic barriers through these intense and well-choreographed music videos overlaid with her charismatic voice. Exemplified by the following track ‘Que No Salga La Luna: Wedding’, her boundless vocal range ruptures to the brim with emotion supported by frantic flamenco-style guitar refrains and syncopated hand-clapping. The clipped synth chords are revisited in the following hit single off the LP, ‘Pienso En Tu Mirá: Jealousy’ which deem reminiscent of fellow-foreigner, pop-sensation Christine & The Queens. Yet, Rosalía doesn’t pander to the english language or rely on bland 80s-throwback pop to garner attention but rather utilises flamenco-based tropes like call-and-response vocal techniques to amalgamate into a catchy single enveloped with anguish.
According to Rosalía herself, “nobody has this music, it’s a style that only exists here” – the uniqueness of blending traditional flamenco techniques within the pop landscape is something which has, until now, only resulted in half-baked Latin Pop singles such as ‘Despacito’ or any Luis Enrique song. Instead, she decides to push the genre’s envelope further and further within this LP. Incorporating her powerfully moving voice with overlapping vocal sampling on the track ‘De Aqui No Sales: Dispute’, and an orgasmic cacophony of strings in the beautifully-conducted track ‘Reniego: Curse’, Rosalía strikes a fine balance between a genre steeped in centuries of history and another enticing it to experiment and evolve its aesthetic.
This musical experimentation is epitomised in the following track ‘Bagdad: Liturgy’ – an albeit quirky experience oscillating through various rhythms but grounded by a sampling of Justin Timberlake’s single ‘Cry Me a River’. Whilst the chorus may not match the bite of the verse sections, the unusual incorporation of traditional arabic-style vocals within modern pop must be admired. The third and final single on El Mal Querer, comes in the form of ‘Di Mi Nombre: Ecstasy’ with off-beat palmas and brief synth chords working their way to her skewed-tuned and infectious vocal hook at the chorus.
Unfortunately for Rosalía, the LP’s last few tracks don’t stand particularly well against her head-turning singles. For such tracks as ‘Nana: Conception’ and ‘A Ningún Hombre: Power’, the superfluous auto-tuned harmonies seem to muddy the flamenco waters slightly – edging closer to a Bon Iver or James Blake sound rather than her own. As much as her voice manages to salvage the LP from petering out too quickly, she perhaps needs to refine this area of songwriting – sustaining her flamenco roots rather than jumping ship too soon. Through the LP’s deflating culmination, however, Rosalía’s voice has the final say in this story’s tumultuous relationship as her final vocal note is left beautifully to resonate in the ears of the listener.
In the current state of affairs, it’s hard to disagree with Rosalía’s belief that “there are a lot of eyes on us [Catalonians] right now, and that’s something all of us should celebrate” – from the sweeping political independence movements to the musical movements spearheaded by herself. If she capitalises on this celebration by pushing the genre’s envelope and refines her slight downfalls on this LP, there’s no doubt in my mind that her music will gain eventual traction around the globe. El Mal Querer may translate to ‘the bad desire’, however, this desire is something we desperately crave in the pop scene – for its power, passion, and unashamed pride.
8.5/10
Rosalía’s 2nd LP, El Mal Querer, is out now and can be found here.
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