Nothing is more necessary to a healthy artistic culture than constant reinvention, and few artists contribute to this reinvention more than Arca. Her last musical chapter was the ‘Kick’ pentalogy, an album series in which each project worked as a cog in the overall apparatus she was creating.

Consider the pentalogy, then, as a sort of ‘soft launch’ for her upcoming album, titled XXXXX. For the project, Arca has leaned heavily into mechanical energy. In the artwork, designed by Kaan Ulgener, accompanying the soon-to-be-released album, Arca is depicted as a human-robot hybrid, encased in machinery and metal.

Alongside the album, Arca has also announced another Diva.Experimental livestream. The stream, directed by Daniel Sannwald and styled by Akeem Smith, will premiere on July 23rd, live from Barcelona on Twitch and YouTube beginning at 9:30 PM CEST. It will be two hours in length and will incorporate various performances, unreleased songs, and curated environments, giving audiences an early glimpse into the XXXXX world.

The project is sponsored by London-based dating app Feeld, a contributor for whom Arca expressed particular gratitude. “With Feeld’s support and investment, we’re able to put on a show for you with full glam and budget,” she said. “Thank you for supporting experimental art. Please tune in. We’re working really hard to create a great show for you, wherever you are.”

XXXXX is yet another development in Arca’s artistic odyssey, building on the now iconic ‘Kick’-era. Her inspirations span from Greek mythology to Ridley Scott-adjacent alien tech. Still, when the project is released in its entirety on July 31st, the experience will be unlike most art before it, because that is what Arca does best.