REVIEW: Rosalía releases her stunning third album 'Motomami'

Spanish singer Rosalía is the type of artist where adjectives almost seem pointless. She is simply an expert at her art. Her music is almost intimidatingly creative and unique, while remaining completely and utterly accessible. She has a voice that has such a warmth, range and emotion that it easily winds around your soul, but can switch in a second to a vocal that is so dripped in attitude even the strongest will wilt. Quite simply, she is incredible.

Today she releases her third studio album Motomami and it is arguably her best to date. Her sound has evolved greatly from her 2018 Grammy Award winning second album El Mal Querer, and debut album Los Ángeles moving away from the more stripped back, lush organic balladry of her first two releases and into reggaeton as well as more traditional pop sonics. It is an album full of experimentation and music completely out of the box that defies genre or categorisation in the best possible way. Lyrically, it is also her most personal and revealing release to date, with topics including sexuality, transformation and relationship breakups. She also told Spanish Rolling Stone feminism is “implicit in the intention – it’s very radical and it’s very much present in some songs, and maybe not some much in some others, because in the end, it’s all the emotional journey of the ups and downs an artist can take.”

The album kicks off with the second single ‘Saoko’, which is perhaps the perfect introduction of everything you can expect from Motomami. An insanely addictive beat, housed in a completely left of field structure, with Rosalía firing off lyrics with a precision and attitude that is like the aural version of a stare down. She clearly states her agenda up front: “Sé quién soy a donde vaya, nunca se me olvida Yo manejo” (“I know who I am no matter where I go / I never forget I’m in the driver’s seat.”). It is the kind of song that leaves you breathless with admiration.

‘Candy’ is a more traditional pop song, dripping in melancholy and gorgeous melodies, as Rosalía attempts to move on from a broken relationship: “Ya no te quiero como antes Me rompiste pero solo en parte…Pero de olvidarte yo ya hice un arte,” (“I don’t love you like before / You broke me but just a lil’ bit…I’ve made an art of forgettin’ you”) she sings.

Her 2021 collaboration with The Weeknd ‘La Fama’ is probably the most mainstream pop song on the album, although it retains enough quirky elements and soundscapes to set it well apart from everything else in the charts.  Perhaps the most intriguing song on the album is ‘Hentai’. Sonically, it is a lush, gentle piano ballad complete with soaring vocals from Rosalía, but lyrically it is an explicit celebration of sex “Te quiero ride / Como a mi bike” (“I wanna ride you / Like I ride my bike”). As the song builds to its climax, explosive pistol sounds accompany the piano in a glorious juxtaposition of sounds. 

‘Genís’ is one of the more quieter, reflective moments of the album, stunning in it’s simplicity, with ‘Como Un G’ in a similar vein, while conversely ‘CUUUUUuuuuuute’ is one of the most experimental - and wonderful - tracks on the album, switching between hardcore electro and a soaring, almost operatic ballad. 

The album closes with ‘Sakura’, a powerful live recording which is more aligned with Rosalía’s earlier works and features a breathtaking vocal display.

Motomami is nothing less than a work of art. It is contemporary, yet alien. It is relatable and identifiable yet also feels like a otherworldly glimpse into the future of music. It is an album where Rosalía sounds supremely confident and assured in her artistry, which is not to say that attitude was missing on previous releases,  but there is an absolute, all encompassing power in this work that is hard to ignore, or not be impressed by.

Already a musical game changer in so many ways in her relatively short career to date, Rosalía has shifted the dial yet again and proven she is one of the greats in music today. It’s only March, but Motomami is without a doubt one of the greatest albums of 2022 - if not the decade.

Motomami is out now via Sony Music. You can buy and stream here.

To keep up with all things Rosalía you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.