Initially, this album might appear more like a challenging university challenge rather than a new pop album from a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken across four separate sections and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic opus investigating feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently via the lens of different women saints. The end of a romance—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, carried by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning composer within an extensive list of contributors. The pure audacity alone makes the work of other artists appear quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to avoid dry academic posturing feels nothing short of a miracle, with complete credit going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its stakes feel far higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. What really elevates her fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of fun. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
This playful energy shines brightly on the stunning piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, everything falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds down with cartoonish force. The track immediately segues into the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The charm with this album is that the listener rarely quite know—or even want to know—what you will go next."
Nearly each track concludes at a totally different point than where it began. One moment explores the transient trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused work starts off dark and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves straddling the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has become her first release to break into the Top 5 of major markets: at its core a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spins skyward. This trick is repeated by a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, like a storybook character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that requires time to completely explore but never feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around it, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about useless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most restlessly creative visionary.