Arca Announces New Album XXXXX, Reflects on Anger and Rebirth in AnOther Magazine Interview

Venezuelan experimental musician Arca, born Alejandra Ghersi, has announced her new album XXXXX, her first full-length since the five-album Kick series concluded over five years ago. In an interview with Connor Garel for the Autumn/Winter 2026 issue of AnOther Magazine, marking the publication's 25th anniversary, she describes the record as a deliberate return to abstraction after the pop crossover of Kick. The album began as a mixtape and introduces a character called Diva Experimental, inspired by the video game Jet Set Radio Future and its pirate-radio broadcasts of resistance. Arca says the music explores violence, tenderness, and aftercare, and that she was angrier than she had been in a long time. She explains that anger has a necessary function in protecting dignity and addressing imbalance, and that she wants to open eyes and hearts to difficult emotions. She also discusses her work with Madonna on Confessions II, recalling their first meeting where Madonna advised her to bring a sense of humour, and reflects on her earlier collaborations with Björk, Kanye West, Kelela, Frank Ocean, and Rosalía. Arca notes that she has already begun writing the next album, which she describes as tender, hyper-charged, fuchsia, and electrical, with a return to vocals. The interview touches on her painting practice, her decade of psychoanalysis, and her ongoing commitment to live performance. The issue is on sale internationally from 17 September 2026.