Somerset House, London With her electrifying swagger and compelling songs, Catalan star Rosalía shows why she’s a YouTube phenomenon Which female artist holds the record for the most-watched YouTube music video so far this year? Not Taylor Swift , who is on a righteous comeback trail, nor Ariana Grande , the trailblazer of 2018. It is an artist from Barcelona who trained in flamenco at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, who wrote a university dissertation on a 14th-century Spanish manuscript , and is very big on nail art . Taking the stage in Somerset House’s grand old Thames-side courtyard flanked by half a dozen female dancers, Rosalía strikes a series of poses drawn from both Iberian tradition and contemporary street dance. One particularly fierce preying mantis arm posture recurs in much of the night’s high-spec choreography. Her ruffled fuchsia top, matched with pink hot pants, visually combine proud folklore and Instagram-melting R&B couture. Continue reading...