Rosalía Doesn’t Want to Take It Easy
On Lux, her intense and expansive new album, Rosalía pushes the boundaries of pop music. While many artists today embrace the pop girl image, Rosalía stands out with her unique approach.
Pop Trends and Contrasts
- Last year, Taylor Swift shifted from calling herself one of the “tortured poets” to a “showgirl,” releasing a short album of catchy songs co-produced by hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback.
- The year’s breakout act is likely Huntr/x, a fictional girl group from the animated Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters.”
- Demi Lovato revisited her musical roots with “Fast,” a superficial club track from the album aptly titled It’s Not That Deep.
- MGK, formerly a rapper, attempted a reinvention with the video “Cliché,” where he mimicked boy-band antics, prompting mixed reactions and a subsequent Instagram video explaining,
“It’s a pop song, man.”
Rosalía’s Unique Position
Unlike many who adjust their styles to fit pop trends, Rosalía remains distinct. She is a classically trained flamenco singer from Spain who gained international recognition in 2018 with El Mal Querer, an album blending flamenco and pop. This work also doubled as her thesis at the prestigious Catalonia College of Music.
“El Mal Querer” was full of diaphanous flamenco-pop experiments, showcasing her unique artistry.
Her dedication to innovation and depth sets her apart in a landscape of rapidly shifting pop personas.
Author’s summary: Rosalía defies pop conventions by blending flamenco tradition with modern sounds, standing out amid a sea of artists adopting surface-level pop personas.