At first glance, Lux could seem closer to an arduous scholarly examination than a new pop record from an artist who just had a previous hit featured a global pop icon. Split into 4 distinct parts and sung in thirteen tongues, it is a dizzying orchestral-influenced album investigating female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, often through the perspective of different female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot upwards here, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer among an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear quite small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels almost miraculous, with complete praise going to Rosalía. While it's not her first project to alchemize the past with modern styles, the scale are much greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that really elevates her fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic artist during her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart apart, the listener still want to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly during the stirring piano-led ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, and there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes in with comedic force. The song immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener rarely quite understand—nor wish to know—what it will go next."
Almost each song ends in a completely distinct point from where it started. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song echoing her previous trap-infused work starts out dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to soften its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act on the album is navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in the English language builds on a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious melodies while it spirals upward. That trick gets repeated on another expansive ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep source of hidden gems that takes time to fully explore but doesn't feels like a chore. While some big pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a lavish feast at which the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flit from conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
