Pop music tends to become outdated quite rapidly. While tracks like Rihanna's "Diamonds" and A-ha's "Take on Me" remain easy to dance to, what was once seen as groundbreaking just a few years back is now considered quite mainstream and frequently played in shopping malls.
Just seven years ago, Charli XCX's pivotal mixtape "Pop 2" was hailed as "a vision of what pop music could be," with the PC Music movement praised for "pushing the boundaries of pop to sickly-sweet limits." Similarly, Rosalía’s "Motomami" was labeled with terms like “ultra-modern” and “experimental” three years ago. However, today, as "Brat" has emerged as a major collection of tracks for partygoers worldwide, music journalists are compelled to seek out the next "futurists of pop."
The challenge lies in the fact that the most groundbreaking artists, those who are capable of pushing mainstream music's limits, often show little interest in doing so. This was also the case for Lucrecia Dalt, who maintained a low profile for nearly two decades until now. After leaving her job as a geotechnical engineer, she began creating music in the early 2000s under the name Lucrecia, focusing on experimental sounds. Her significant recognition began in 2008 with the release of "Commotus," her debut album as Lucrecia Dalt. However, the real breakthrough came 14 years later with the critically acclaimed "¡Ay!," which she claims "changed things quite fundamentally."
Remaining within the realm of sophisticated and niche music rooted in Latin heritage, electronic influences, and classical traditions, Dalt succeeded in reaching a broader audience. "¡Ay!" served as a bridge from the avant-garde "No Era Sólida" to the decidedly pop-oriented "A Danger to Ourselves." In our conversation, she mentioned, "I don’t think about making a hit,” yet also expressed her openness to being recognized among the prominent figures advancing Latin pop. “In a way, I feel like that’s what I desire,” she added, acknowledging that the louder and more pop-oriented sound of her new album was partially intentional.
This new direction is clear right from the start: the cinematic lead single “Cosa Rara,” featuring the enigmatic David Sylvian, feels like a scene from a film such as Emilia Pérez. It’s easy to envision Zoe Saldaña performing this piece instead of the Oscar-winning "El Mal." As reggaeton-like beats give way to the sound of a car crash followed by Sylvian’s haunting vocals, it becomes apparent that we are encountering something that straddles the line between pop and European festival cinema—almost as if Rosalía drew inspiration from the works of Leos Carax or Fatih Akin. At this point, it’s tempting to liken Dalt’s creative process to Hideo Kojima’s cinematic-style storytelling, but we will refrain from making that comparison.
In the slow-burning, atmospheric tracks "No Death No Danger" and "Caes," even more cinematic references emerge, conjuring up numerous scenes from classic noirs, thrillers, and horror films. “Don’t call me a snake / And I’m not a reptile / But I’ll cut my stare on your sweet gaze,” Dalt sings in a hypnotic manner in the former. “You are going to throw me / Into your nightmare / So spectacularly,” she enchants listeners with her mantra-like voice over entrancing pop rhythms in the latter. It's hard to shake the feeling that you’re listening to a soundtrack for a non-existent horror film.
Dalt has frequently mentioned that horror is one of her favorite genres, and her involvement in scoring for "The Baby" and "Rabbit Trap" underscores that preference. Even the cover of "A Danger to Ourselves" invites comparisons to Takashi Shimizu's Ju-on series, the Ring films, and other Japanese horror productions. Dalt intentionally designs her art to "make you feel uncomfortable"—and it certainly achieves that effect. The haunting ballad "Acéphale," literally translating to "headless" and named after Georges Bataille's sociological journal and secret society, elicits discomfort by narrating the tale of a precise cut. “Couldn’t help but / To gash / With my pocket blade / Joyous, unafraid,” she sings, accompanied by the sound of an unsheathing katana.
The album’s progression unfolds like a black-and-white film reminiscent of early Jim Jarmusch, with the gritty, smoky notes of a Tom Waits–inspired saxophone on "Agüita Con Sal" and a laid-back contrabass on the bluesy, ambient "Hasta El Final." Dalt takes her time, allowing the right words and notes to emerge, conveying personal emotions that have rarely been revealed in her past work.
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Pop music has a tendency to become outdated quickly. For instance, you can still dance to Rihanna's 'Diamonds' or A-ha's 'Take on Me', but what once felt groundbreaking now seems different.