Initially, this work could seem closer to an arduous university quiz rather than the latest pop album from an artist who just had a last hit was a collaboration with a global pop icon. Split across 4 different parts and performed in 13 tongues, we have a head-spinning symphonic album that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, often by way of the prism of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is launched upwards here, supported by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself renders the efforts of other pop stars look quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to escape overly academic posturing feels almost miraculous, with complete credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to fuse the past with the present, the stakes are far higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. What really elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to be alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines brightly during the stirring Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes down like comedic force. The track then shifts to the frenetic single featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener rarely quite know—nor wish to know—where it is going to next."
Almost every track concludes in a totally distinct place than how it started. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style begins off moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act on Lux involves straddling the line between bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that it has achieved her first work to break into the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed entirely in English swells around a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spirals upward. This trick is repeated on a different powerful ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand level, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried gems that requires patience to completely mine but never feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the guests around the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flutter from discussions about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day musical from music's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
