Hi Robert. What’s this week’s album?
‘Doubtless Motomami by the Spanish singer Rosalía. A sensational record. The songs on this album sound experimental and avant-garde. Lots of fun finds, crazy sounds, it’s real art-pop. She also gives the music a lot of content, especially in the lyrics. The number saoko for example, about transformations, has a super good text. It’s about how Rosalía herself changed from a shy girl to a superstar. And in candy, a kind of soft reggaeton ballad, you hear such beautiful basses, distortions and stacked sounds that you are completely pulled along. A top number. Anyone who thinks this is a lame reggaeton record should listen to it.’
“The Spaniards are super critical of her. She would squander flamenco music and be a sell-out artist. Flamenco is like a pure art form in Spain, so many people find it a complete devastation to put a hip-hop beat under it. But now she is becoming a global pop star and can laugh at Spain. She was already huge in South America, and now she’s really breaking through in North America. Her previous album El Mal Querer was already rock solid, but the development that she is now going through is very special. Her new record is a new standard for global pop music. A lot of other Spanish-language pop music immediately sounds a bit old-fashioned, compared to Motomami† It is a masterpiece, it turns everything upside down.’
And you wanted to discuss another big pop record: Charli XCX’s Crash.
Charli XCX is now a professional pop star. She has been around for about ten years, with a new record every two to three years. They are always good, but her new album crash is really really nice. It is the last record with her current record company. It kinda feels like she’s with crash says goodbye, by going through all the styles she is good at again. She is surrounded by a large team of producers and songwriters. You will therefore hear Swedish pop, but also Dutch dance, in Used to know me for instance. And you really hear pop from the 80s and 90s, but also synth pop, digital beats and a bit of disco. It’s a pop album with a sharp edge. It’s absolutely beautifully made.’
To conclude, do you have anything for people who have nothing to do with pop music?
‘Yes, for the Sake of Bethel Woods by the American folk band Midlake. Very nicely decorated music, with a lot of flutes. Midlake has a new vocalist on this album, but that doesn’t matter to the sound of the band. It’s psychedelic rock that reminds you of nature. Mostly Feast of Carrion is a beautiful, dreamy folk song, very reminiscent of the psychedelic album meddle by Pink Floyd. For the Sake of Bethel Woods is well looked after, it radiates warmth, it is the perfect music to listen through your headphones during a nature walk. Then you inevitably start worrying about the transience of life, but at least with a few catchy choruses.’