Initially, Lux might appear closer to an arduous scholarly quiz than a new popular music album from a musician who just had a last hit featured an international K-pop icon. Split across four separate parts and voiced in 13 languages, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, often via the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched upwards on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long list of contributors. Its sheer daring by itself makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem rather laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to escape dry academic chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, with complete praise going to the artist. While this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its scale feel much higher on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. What really elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is a core spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist during her peak, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, the listener still want to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit shines clearly during a stirring Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh and a comment before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds down with cartoonish force. The song then shifts into the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album lies in the listener never exactly know—nor wish to predict—where it is going to next."
Almost each track finishes in a totally different place than where it began. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused work starts out moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap of radical innovation and broad accessibility. This is no surprise that the album has become the artist's first work to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song sung entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spirals upward. This feat gets echoed by another powerful track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album represents pop on a grand level, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes patience to fully explore but never feels like hard work. Where other major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish feast where the characters at the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
