Initially, this work might appear more like an arduous scholarly quiz than a new popular music project from an artist who just had a last single featured a global pop icon. Divided across 4 different parts and performed in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, often by way of the prism of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot upwards on this record, carried by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among a long list of contributors. The pure ambition alone renders the efforts of contemporary artists appear quite modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its stakes are much greater here, with the balancing act more precarious. What really raises her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of joy. Similar to the iconic artist during her peak, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she is tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless want to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This playful energy comes forth clearly on the stunning Italian song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes down with cartoonish impact. The song immediately shifts into the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm of Lux is that the listener rarely quite know—or even want to predict—where it will go next."
Nearly every track ends at a completely distinct point than where it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused style begins off dark and brooding, with prowling beats, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of the album involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no surprise that the album has achieved her first work to crack the Top 5 of key charts: at its core a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in English swells on a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging melodies as it spins skyward. This trick gets repeated on another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its inherent excess. This is a deep well of buried gems that takes patience to fully explore but doesn't seem like a chore. While other big pop albums of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the characters at the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about useless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
