Initially, this album could seem more like a difficult scholarly examination rather than the latest popular music record by an artist who just had a last hit featured an international K-pop star. Divided across four separate movements and performed in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged opus exploring feminine mystique, religious ascent, and physical transformation, frequently by way of the prism of various women saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot skyward here, supported by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That this album succeeds in avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and full credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to blend historical sounds and the present, the ambitions feel much higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that really elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she is breaking hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth clearly during a stunning Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops away, and we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down with cartoonish force. The song immediately segues into the wild single driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener never exactly know—nor want to know—what you will go next."
Almost each song finishes at a completely different point from how it began. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony only to disintegrating in digital chaos. Another, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic work starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on Lux is straddling the line between radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a chorus that seems to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spins skyward. This trick is echoed by a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep source of buried gems that takes time to fully mine but never seem like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flit between conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
