At first glance, this album might appear more like an arduous university quiz rather than a new popular music album from an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Split across 4 separate parts and sung in thirteen languages, this is a head-spinning symphonic album exploring feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, often by way of the perspective of different female saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a long list of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the work of contemporary artists seem rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That Lux manages to escape overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, the scale feel far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly elevates this fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core sense of joy. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its tornado. Even when she's breaking your heart in two, you nevertheless want to stay alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
That exuberant energy shines brightly on a stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh followed by a comment prior to a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes down like comedic impact. The song then segues to the wild track driven by galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The magic of this album lies in you rarely exactly understand—or even want to know—where you is going next."
Almost every song ends in a totally different point from how it started. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused style begins out dark and sinister, with prowling beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough corners.
The Bridge Of Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first work to break into the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed primarily in the English language swells around a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks while it spirals upward. This trick gets repeated on a different expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux is pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. This is an abundant source of buried treasure that requires time to completely mine but doesn't seem like a chore. Where some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a lavish feast at which the guests around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between conversations about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly creative visionary.
