Arca has premiered new music from upcoming album ‘XXXXX’ in an experimental livestream directed by Daniel Sannwald. Check it out below.
The stream was held live on Twitch and YouTube last night (Thursday July 23), following the Grammy-nominated singer and producer announcing details of her long-anticipated album earlier this week.
That record is set to drop on July 31 via XL Recordings, and marks her first new music since the expansive ‘Kick’ pentalogy ended in 2021.
On last night’s livestream, Arca broke out an ambitious two-hour performance, giving fans a first glimpse of the album. Directed by Daniel Sannwald – who has previously directed music videos and shot album covers for Beyoncé, SZA, Travis Scott and more – the transmission was staged from an abandoned factory in Barcelona and saw Arca play the new record in full.
Highlights included the elaborate renditions of ‘Willow’, ‘Tacondeando’ and ‘Grip’, as well as back-to-back performances of ‘Fxck’ and ‘Finisher’, where the experimental Venezuelan artist smeared paint and synthetic blood across a canvas.
Ahead of the livestream, Arca shared that the performance would be presented with support from Feeld and told fans: “With Feeld’s support and investment, we’re able to put on a show for you with full glam and budget.
“Thank you for supporting experimental art. Please tune in. We’re working really hard to create a great show for you, wherever you are.”
When the new album was announced, Arca confirmed that it would feature 16-tracks and see her take on a “darker, more aggressive, more experimental” sound, and develop a record that feels rooted in raw exploration.
“It seems playful, also mischievous, to interrupt that autopilot,” she explained. Check out the tracklist below.
The tracklist for Arca’s ‘XXXXX’ is:
‘No End’
‘Willow’
‘Eidolon’
‘Heart’
‘Syncope’
‘Raver’
‘Cinch’
‘Fxck’
‘Finisher’
‘Taconeando’
‘Futurality’
‘Grip’
‘Enraptured’
‘Throb’
‘Everything’
‘Sueño’
NME gave the first of Arca’s ‘Kick’ albums a glowing four-star review when it dropped in 2020, writing: “Considering the range of genres incorporated in the album, it’s stunning that it never veers fully towards only one.”
The review continued: “Instead, ‘KiCk i’ incorporates pop, experimental, noise, electronica and psychedelia into one project. Amid a highly acclaimed career, Arca’s latest album presents a new high-water mark.”
Since the ‘Kick’ pentalogy ended, Arca has joined forces with Madonna for a cameo in the latter’s ‘Confessions II’ film – joining famous faces including Julia Garner, Shygirl, Gwendoline Christie, Richard E. Grant, Honey Dijon, and Chelsea players Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.
Arca has also held her first-ever painting exhibition at London’s ICA earlier this year, and is now set to join Björk for a solar eclipse day rave on August 12 in Iceland. Other names on the bill include Sideproject and Ronja Jóhannsdóttir, and tickets are available here.
