New York's Metropolitan Opera House seemed a fitting setting to chat with the Spanish pop artist Rosalía after the global tour for her latest album, "Lux" (which is Latin for light).
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which → seem → light
"I really like how concentrated the energy is in spaces like this," she said.
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she → like → this
This superstar knows about energy and performing.
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superstar → know → energy
Her song "Berghain," inspired by the 12th-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen, featuring an orchestra and booming choir, is not the typical pop formula.
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song → inspire → orchestra
With operatic vocals in Spanish and German, but also an appearance from Björk, the song makes clear the 34-year-old Spaniard's reverence for the classics – and desire to do something different.
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reverence → make → something
Opera, she said, was a big inspiration.
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she → say → ?
Watch Rosalía and Björk perform "Berghain" at the 2026 BRIT Awards:
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Rosalía → watch → Awards
She said her tour for "Lux" has been more demanding than any she has done – performing en pointe, for instance, and singing in Japanese, Ukrainian, Catalan and Arabic.
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she → say → Japanese
She wrote lyrics in 14 languages.
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She → write → languages
"If you find 14 languages in this album, it's not from a place of exhibition, but a search for communion," she said.
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she → find → communion
"Lux" was so anticipated that a countdown to announce it snarled traffic in Madrid.
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countdown → announce → Madrid
The album features the stories of female saints and mystics through history, like Olga of Kyiv.
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album → feature → Kyiv
One might not think of the 10th century ruler as the source for a great song.
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One → think → song
"I didn't know about her," Rosalía said.
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Rosalía → know → her
"This woman, she was an assassin before becoming a saint.
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she → become → ?
They were prostitutes, some were drug addicts, and sometimes you wouldn't connect sainthood to these words.
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you → connect → words
Asked if she considers the commercial potential of such an album during its making, she replied, "On one side, there's the responsibility of, okay, I have an office and there's people that I care about.
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I → ask → that
But at the same time, I only can do what's honest for me.
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what → do → me
It took me two years to make this album."
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It → take → album
The self-described perfectionist kept making tweaks so close to the deadline that there are slight differences between the digital version and the vinyl.
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perfectionist → describe → version
"I couldn't do this for too long, because otherwise it would be interminable," she said.
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she → do → long
"Like, I can be forever doing it."
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I → do → it
She says she still thinks there are things that could be done differently: "Yeah, always.
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that → say → ?
Or my voice here, I could have done another take."
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I → do → take
Asked if she can enjoy listening to her own album, she replied, "I never listen to my albums.
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I → ask → albums
But it's something you created?
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you → create → ?
"I create to share it, to let it go," she said.
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she → create → it
"Why would I listen it back?
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I → listen → it
Her fans would disagree.
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fans → disagree → ?
Rosalía's four albums showcase vast range.
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albums → showcase → range
Her first album, 2017's "Los Ángeles," was a modern twist on the flamenco she'd spent years studying in music school.
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she → spend → school
2022's "Motomami" fused rap and raggaeton, and topped multiple "album of the year" lists.
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Motomami → fuse → lists
And now, "Lux," which hit #4 on the Billboard 200 chart, and topped the U.S. Latin chart.
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which → hit → chart
The album features a four-part symphonic structure.
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album → feature → structure
With choirs and the London Symphony Orchestra, she did not make her life easy.
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life → make → choirs
"Yes, it's true," she laughed.
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she → laugh → ?
"But I don't think I ever do.
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I → think → ?
"I don't know, there's just something, some, un fuego, like, a fire.
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I → know → ?
Some sort of, like, urgency and love for what, I don't know."
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I → know → what
That curiosity was ignited in childhood.
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curiosity → ignite → childhood
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
