At first glance, Lux might appear closer to a challenging university challenge than the latest pop album by an artist whose last single featured an international K-pop icon. Broken across 4 distinct movements and sung in thirteen tongues, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, carried by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within an extensive roll call of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself renders the work of other pop stars appear rather modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend dry intellectual posturing feels almost a miracle, and complete praise going to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to blend historical sounds and the present, the scale are much greater on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really elevates her fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core sense of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines clearly on the stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four moments. Suddenly, everything drops away, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh and a comment before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes in with cartoonish impact. The song then segues to the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in you never quite know—or even want to know—what it is going next."
Almost every song ends at a completely different place than how it began. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work starts out dark and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act on the album is navigating the line between bold innovation and mainstream accessibility. This is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spins upward. This trick gets repeated by a different expansive ballad that expands and constricts, weaving layered tunes like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes time to fully mine but never feels like a chore. Where other major releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
