Initially, this album might appear more like an arduous scholarly examination than the latest popular music project by an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Divided into four different movements and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged album investigating female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often by way of the lens of various female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward here, supported by the constant sound of a major orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a long list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone makes the work of other pop stars seem rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That Lux manages to avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking is almost a miracle, with sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to blend historical sounds and modern styles, its ambitions feel much higher here, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. What really elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of fun. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its tornado. Even when she is breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines brightly during the stunning Italian ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Then, all the music drops silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration prior to a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish impact. The song then segues into the wild single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic of this album lies in the listener rarely quite know—nor want to predict—what you is going next."
Nearly every track concludes at a totally distinct point than how it began. A track explores the transient nature of celebrity with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her earlier trap-infused work begins off moody and sinister, with menacing beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement of Lux involves straddling the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that it has become her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. One track sung entirely in English swells on a refrain that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spirals skyward. That feat is repeated on a different expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares with cultural honesty of other heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album is pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of buried treasure that takes patience to completely mine but never feels like hard work. Where some major pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flit between discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
