On the surface, this album may look closer to an arduous scholarly examination than the latest popular music record by a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Divided across 4 separate sections and sung in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning symphonic album that delves into feminine mystique, religious ascent, and bodily transformation, frequently by way of the lens of different saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within an extensive roll call of collaborators. The pure daring by itself makes the efforts of other artists seem rather small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux succeeds in escape dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and sole credit belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, the stakes feel much higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that truly raises her fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several moments. Then, everything falls silent, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge crashes down with cartoonish force. The song then segues to the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of this album is that you never exactly understand—or even wish to predict—where you will go to next."
Nearly each track finishes at a completely different point from where it began. A track explores the transient trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work starts out moody and brooding, with prowling vocals, before sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album involves navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has become her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in English builds around a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spins upward. This feat is repeated by another expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires time to completely explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some major releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, this record offers a sumptuous banquet where the characters around it, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
