Arca has announced her new studio album, XXXXX, due for release on 31 July via XL Recordings, marking her first full-length project since the conclusion of her KiCk album series. The Venezuelan-born artist describes the 16-track record as embracing "contradiction as a core methodology", with press materials calling it darker, more aggressive and more experimental than her previous work, positioning it as a significant creative statement for her fanbase and the wider experimental music scene.

Ahead of the release, Arca will preview the album on Thursday 23 July with a two-hour livestream titled "Diva.Experimental", broadcast from seven locations across Barcelona and premiering on Twitch and YouTube at 9:30pm CEST. The performance is directed by Daniel Sannwald and styled by Akeem Smith. Since her last album dropped in December 2021, Arca has stayed prolific, releasing singles, remixing artists including Addison Rae, Robyn and Hikaru Utada, collaborating with Tokischa, and contributing production to Madonna's Confessions II.