ROSALÍA, Björk, and Yves Tumor? Bored in the library, I read this lineup, and knew I needed to listen. As a long-time Björk lover, occasional (top-hits-only) ROSALÍA listener, and Yves Tumor newcomer, I had no idea what to expect.
Right away, ‘Berghain’ delivers a luxurious tornado of violin and operatic German chorale, over which ROSALÍA showcases a bright soprano. Not what I’d expected from the pop sensation behind ‘Beso’! Translated, the chorus’ lyrics border on exaltation, tinged with fearful reverence toward a God, a lover, or an unnamed unknown.
In the second ‘movement,’ introductory drama melts away to ROSALÍA’s husky Spanish floating over a cinematic orchestral backdrop. A pause, and in the third ‘movement,’ an ominous Björk thematically advises the audience how to achieve “divine” salvation. Soon, Björk is violently interrupted by Tumor, ferociously and repeatedly shouting: “I’ll fuck you ‘til you love me!”, and the song abruptly ends.
‘Berghain’, aptly named, is at once chaotic, mysterious, exalting — like nothing I’ve heard before, and everything I want to hear more of — gracefully marrying classical with modern. As the first single from ROSALIA’S forthcoming LUX, if the album retains the fusion style of ‘Berghain’, I may just have become ROSALIA’S newest fan.
“Rosalia 2019-portrait” by Pedro J Pacheco is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.