Initially, Lux may look closer to a difficult university quiz rather than the latest popular music project by a musician whose last single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split across 4 distinct sections and sung in 13 languages, we have a head-spinning orchestral-influenced opus that delves into female mystique, religious transcendence, and bodily change, frequently by way of the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward here, carried by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast list of collaborators. The pure daring by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem quite laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend dry academic chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, with complete credit belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its scale feel much greater here, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is a core sense of fun. Much like the iconic Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts in two, the listener still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That playful energy shines brightly during a stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, and there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment before a comically exaggerated string crescendo crashes down like comedic force. The song immediately segues to the wild track driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm of Lux is that the listener rarely exactly know—or even want to predict—what you will go next."
Almost every track ends in a completely different point than where it began. A track examines the transient trappings of fame over a delicate symphony before disintegrating in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins off moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act on the album is straddling the line between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has become her first work to crack the Top 5 of major markets: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in English builds on a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging melodies while it spirals upward. That trick is echoed on a different powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish banquet where the characters around it, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless partners. It is a modern-day musical from music's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
