The Catalan Rosalía grew into a global star in record time. With the album
Los Ángeles (2017) she got all the flamenco purists on their hind legs, and with her critically acclaimed concept album
El Mal Querer (2018) she already indicated that she has nothing to do with pigeonholes. On the almost avant-garde Motomami, she gets even more personal. The record is divided into two parts: 'moto', which
… represents her experimental, strong and dissonant side, and 'mami', which represents her honest, soft and vulnerable side. In a music business dominated by streaming, the playlist phenomenon is slowly gaining ground on the album. It is therefore not surprising that Motomami can be listened to as a playlist expertly compiled by the singer. Musically, we hear many genres pass by, which Rosalía shapes to her own will in an original and intelligent way. Bittersweet reggaeton, hip-hop, flamenco and electro are clearly present, but classical piano music is just as much of an influence. The lyrics deal with issues such as her sexuality (Hentai), her life as a celebrity (Bulerías and La Fama, on which The Weeknd also participates). The often minimalist production style, due to the many effects, doesn't seem to be meant to sound beautiful and leaves out traditional pop structures altogether, but it does give Rosalía a very distinctive sound. (JV)more
