On the surface, Lux could seem more like a difficult university examination than the latest pop project from an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Broken into 4 different movements and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work investigating feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, frequently through the prism of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot upwards here, carried by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure daring alone makes the work of other pop stars appear quite small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that this album manages to escape overly intellectual posturing is almost miraculous, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds with the present, the ambitions are far greater here, and the balancing act far more precarious. The element that really raises this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is a core sense of playfulness. Much like the iconic artist at her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit shines brightly on the stunning Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds down with cartoonish impact. The track immediately shifts to the wild single driven by galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The magic of this album lies in you never quite know—nor wish to know—where it will go next."
Almost every track ends at a completely distinct point than how it started. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused work begins off dark and brooding, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Pop
A key balancing act on Lux is navigating the gap of radical experimentation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that it has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks as it spins skyward. This feat is echoed on a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in excess. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that requires patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some major pop albums of the year felt like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.