Inside Rosalía's 'Lux' Listening Party at Barcelona's MNAC

Rosalía, the Catalan artist, took centre stage on Wednesday night at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) for a 'listening party' of her new album 'Lux'. The event was attended by 900 guests, with the singer from Sant Esteve Sesrovires (Barcelona) observing from the stage.

Shrouded in secrecy, guests queued up, posed for photos at a photocall at the MNAC entrance, and covered their phone cameras before entering a hallway leading to the Oval Hall. There, a crescent-shaped stage was adorned with large drapes projecting the lyrics of the songs.

The tracks from 'Lux', set for release this Friday, played out on stage. Attendees were advised to enjoy the music in silence, while Rosalía, dressed in white, lay or sat on the cushioned stage as just another listener, alongside guests seated in the stalls and stands of the Oval Hall.

The audience followed the sequence of 'Lux' tracks in respectful silence, with some songs receiving ovations.

After the 'listening party', the artist descended from the stage and walked through the aisle amidst a standing audience, expressing gratitude without speaking.

Among the 900 guests were familiar faces such as the members of Estopa, fighter Ilia Topuria, singer Amaia, singer Omar Montes, actress Rossy de Palma, and presenter Belén Esteban.

The 'Lux' listening party in Barcelona was one of several held on Wednesday in cities including Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Lima, Lisbon, London, Milan, Paris, Santiago de Chile, San José, Santo Domingo, São Paulo, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Toronto.

Interestingly, before the event began, attendees were warned that mobile alerts might sound due to the forecast of rain in Catalonia, which indeed happened.

'Lux' is Rosalía's fourth album, arriving three years after the release of 'Motomami'. On October 27, the singer had already released the first preview, 'Berghain', and on Wednesday, the entire album was leaked on social media.

In this work, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and featuring voices from artists like Björk, Carminho, Estrella Morente, Silvia Pérez Cruz, and the choirs of the Escolania de Montserrat and the Palau de la Música, the artist explores themes such as "feminine mysticism, transformation, and spirituality, tracing the arc between illusion and loss, faith and individuality".

The album is divided into four movements: the first includes 'Sexo, Violencia y Llantas', 'Reliquia', 'Divinize - with part of the lyrics in Catalan, Porcelana' and 'Mio Cristo'.

The second part comprises 'Berghain', 'La Perla', 'Mundo Nuevo', and 'De Madrugá', a song previewed during her tour for 'El mal querer', her second album.

The third movement of the album consists of 'Dios Es Un Stalker', 'La Yugular', 'Focu 'ranni', 'Sauvignon Blanc', and 'Jeanne', while the fourth and final part concludes with 'Novia Robot', 'La Rumba Del Perdón', 'Memória', and 'Magnolias'.