On the surface, this album may look closer to a challenging university challenge than a new pop record from a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Broken across four separate movements and sung in 13 tongues, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged opus investigating feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often through the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, carried by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone makes the work of contemporary artists seem rather small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to avoid dry academic chin-stroking is almost a miracle, and full praise belonging to the artist. While it's not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and modern styles, its ambitions are much greater on Lux, with the balancing act more precarious. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic artist during her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts in two, you still want to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines brightly on the stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several moments. Then, everything falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a comment prior to a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds down with cartoonish force. The song then shifts to the wild single featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in you never exactly know—nor want to know—where you will go next."
Almost every song finishes in a completely distinct place than how it began. One moment explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic style begins out dark and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, until fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act on Lux is straddling the line between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in English builds on a refrain that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spirals upward. This feat gets echoed on another expansive ballad that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms with its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires time to fully explore but never feels like a chore. Where some major releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
