On the surface, this album might appear closer to a difficult university examination rather than the latest popular music project from a musician whose previous single featured a global K-pop icon. Divided across four separate sections and performed in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning symphonic opus investigating feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, frequently through the perspective of different women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary artists appear quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux succeeds in avoid dry intellectual posturing is nearly miraculous, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to fuse historical sounds with modern styles, its scale are much higher on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really elevates this fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of fun. Much like the iconic artist during her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. When she is tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly during a stirring Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four moments. Then, everything falls silent, and there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes in like comedic force. The track immediately segues to the wild track driven by galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm with Lux is that the listener never quite know—nor want to know—what you will go next."
Almost each track concludes at a completely distinct point from where it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls her previous rhythmic work starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album involves straddling the line of radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her first work to crack the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to gather increasingly infectious hooks as it spins skyward. This feat is repeated on another expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting an ex- partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its built-in excess. It is an abundant well of buried gems that takes time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the characters at the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
