At first glance, Lux may look closer to an arduous university quiz than the latest popular music record by an artist whose last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Divided into 4 different sections and sung in thirteen tongues, we have a breathtaking symphonic opus investigating female mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily transformation, often by way of the lens of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched upwards here, carried by the lush presence of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among a long list of contributors. The pure ambition by itself renders the efforts of other pop stars seem rather laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to escape overly intellectual posturing is almost miraculous, and sole credit going to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its stakes feel much greater here, with the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That playful energy comes forth clearly on a stunning Italian song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds down with cartoonish impact. The track then shifts into the wild track driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener never quite understand—or even wish to know—what you will go next."
Nearly every song finishes at a completely different point than how it started. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic style begins off moody and brooding, with menacing beats, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to soften its rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on the album is navigating the gap of bold innovation and broad appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to crack the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. A song sung primarily in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. This trick is echoed by another expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares with cultural honesty of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in excess. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes patience to fully mine but never feels like hard work. Where some big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous feast where the guests around it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
