At first glance, Lux might appear more like a challenging university examination than the latest pop project from an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided into 4 distinct parts and sung in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying symphonic work exploring female mystique, religious ascent, and corporal change, frequently via the prism of various saintly figures. The end of a romance—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars skyward here, carried by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long roll call of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of other artists seem quite small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album manages to avoid overly academic posturing is nearly miraculous, with complete credit belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize the past with the present, its scale feel far greater here, and the balancing act more dramatic. What truly elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is an essential spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This playful spirit comes forth brightly on a stirring piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in like comedic impact. The song immediately shifts into the wild track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic with this album is that you rarely quite know—nor want to know—what you will go to next."
Nearly every song finishes at a completely different place from where it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her earlier rhythmic style starts out dark and sinister, with menacing vocals, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Of Art and Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album is straddling the gap of radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is little surprise that the album has achieved the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy hits. A song sung entirely in English builds around a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious melodies while it spins skyward. That feat is echoed by another powerful ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in excess. This is a deep source of hidden treasure that takes patience to fully mine but never feels like hard work. Where some major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the guests around the table, some tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between conversations about historical figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly creative visionary.
