MOTOMAMI, Rosalía’s long awaited follow up album to El Mal Querer, has finally arrived.
Like her previous album, Rosalía continues to master the transformation of genres, fusing classic flamenco with modern electronically produced sounds rooted in trap and reggaeton.
MOTOMAMI does not merely repeat what came before it, but brings an entirely new energy; Rosalía mixes themes of personal heartbreak with strong femininity personified by female stunt bikers in a way that is perhaps even more experimental than its predecessor.
Sixteen tracks range from being at times slow and aethereal, breaking out into free jazz, playing with interludes of traditional flamenco and then doing a 360 back into auto tuned reggaeton which you can imagine dancing all night to. What’s even more astonishing is that this sometimes all happens in a single track.
To balance such a range is truly a skill and its Rosalía’s immaculately delicate soprano creates the album’s sense of unification amongst the organised chaos. One particularly impressive demonstration of her vocal ability occurs in the final track SAKURA. Rosalía delivers a powerfully mournful, note perfect performance to clearly spellbound live crowd.
It is clear Rosalía aspires to stretch ours, and her own musical preconceptions, taking on the many influences which she openly names throughout the album, citing artists such Lil’ Kim, MIA and flamenco artists Niña Pastori and José Mercé.
