On the surface, this album could seem more like a challenging university quiz rather than the latest pop album by a musician whose last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided across four distinct sections and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus that delves into female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the prism of various female saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars upwards here, buoyed by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of other pop stars appear rather modest.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to escape overly intellectual posturing feels nearly miraculous, and full credit going to the artist. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize the past with modern styles, its stakes are much greater here, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that truly raises this fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth clearly on the stirring piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle and a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge thuds in with comedic force. The song immediately segues into the wild single featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic with Lux is that you never quite know—nor want to predict—what you is going to next."
Nearly each song finishes in a completely different place from how it started. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts off moody and sinister, with menacing vocals, until sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap of bold experimentation and broad accessibility. It is little surprise that the album has become her first work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in English swells on a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals skyward. This trick is echoed on a different expansive track that grows and constricts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high artistry in an era of looming artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of buried treasure that takes time to fully mine but doesn't seem like a chore. While other major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record is a lavish feast where the guests at it, some tipsy on holy wine, flit from discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly inventive visionary.
