Initially, Lux might appear more like an arduous scholarly quiz than a new popular music project by a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Broken across four distinct parts and sung in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work investigating female mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently through the perspective of various women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a major orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. The pure audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album succeeds in avoid overly academic posturing feels nearly a miracle, and complete credit going to Rosalía. While it's not her first album to blend historical sounds with the present, the ambitions feel much greater on Lux, with the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that truly elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic artist at her height, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
That playful energy comes forth clearly on a stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh and a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down like comedic force. The song then shifts to the frenetic track driven by racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The charm of Lux lies in the listener never quite understand—or even want to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly every song finishes in a completely distinct point from where it started. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls her earlier rhythmic work starts out moody and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux is straddling the line between bold innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. One track sung entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spins skyward. This trick gets repeated on a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden gems that takes time to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where some big pop albums of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
