It’s been more than two years since Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro shocked fans with their breakup, but now the former couple are making headlines again ahead of the release of her new album.
During a recent interview with Le Magazine du Monde, Rosalía was asked about the inspiration behind her upcoming album 'LUX,' due November 7. The Catalan superstar explained that the record draws from “holy women” across history, including Santa Rosalía, the patron saint of Palermo.
© GettyImages“Santa Rosalía was a hermit, she canceled her wedding the day before… this coincidence is incredible,” the singer said to the publication. But when the interviewer pressed her by asking, “What coincidence?” Rosalía paused before answering, “Mmm… It’s a long story, better not talk about that.”
In Catholic tradition, Santa Rosalía was a noblewoman who fled her wedding the night before the ceremony, retreating into a cave to live in solitude and devotion. For some fans, Rosalía’s remark feels like confirmation that she may have done something similar and walked away from the altar at the last possible moment.
© GettyImagesThe parallels are impossible to ignore. 'LUX,' described as an exploration of purity, spiritual renewal, and womanhood, seems steeped in the same symbolism.
The album’s lead single, “Berghain,” arrives with a dreamlike video where Rosalía clutches a dented heart-shaped medallion, later revealed to be set with a garnet, January’s birthstone, coincidentally Rauw Alejandro’s birthday month.
© GettyImagesIn one scene, a jeweler tells her the heart can’t be repaired. Later, it miraculously appears whole again. The closing shot shows Rosalía transforming into a dove and flying away.
Even Rosalía’s comment in The New York Times’ Popcast podcast seems to reference Rauw. “There are many villains. The faith in masculinity is lost," she said. But once in a 2022 interview with streamer Ibai Llanos, she’d told Rauw, “My faith in masculinity was lost, and when I met you, my thoughts changed."
© GrosbyGroupAnother new track, “La Perla,” has fans dissecting every lyric. She sings about an “emotional terrorist” and a “national heartbreaker,” leading listeners to believe it’s another reference to her ex-fiancé.
The almost wedding:
Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro met in 2019 and, after two years of speculation, confirmed their romance publicly in 2021. By March 2023, the pair had announced their engagement in the video for “Beso,” one of three tracks on their joint EP RR.
© Rauw AlejandroIt was the fairytale ending everyone expected for Latin pop’s power couple. Behind the scenes, the plans were already underway. On El Hormiguero, a Spanish talk show, Rosalía said that she had found the dress, a custom Vivienne Westwood gown.
“I already have my wedding dress,” she said in the June 14 interview, adding that she kept it safely stored until her tour wrapped. The wedding, she hinted, would come after the Motomami World Tour’s final date in July 2023.
© GothamBut July arrived with a twist no one saw coming. The couple confirmed their split that month, quietly, abruptly, and with no clear reason. Rauw denied infidelity rumors in a public statement. Rosalía thanked fans for “understanding and respecting” their privacy, adding only, “I love, respect, and admire Raúl very much.” The wedding never happened.
