At first glance, Lux may look more like a challenging university challenge rather than the latest popular music project by a musician who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Divided into 4 different parts and sung in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying orchestral-influenced album investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and corporal change, often by way of the prism of different saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. The pure audacity by itself renders the efforts of other artists appear rather small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly academic posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to alchemize the past and modern styles, the scale feel much greater on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. What truly elevates her fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk during her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to stay right there for the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over several minutes. Then, everything falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down with cartoonish force. The track then segues into the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic with Lux is that the listener never exactly know—nor wish to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly each track ends at a completely distinct place from how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into digital chaos. Another, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic style begins off dark and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act on the album is straddling the gap of bold experimentation and broad accessibility. It is little surprise that it has achieved her first release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language builds around a chorus that seems to gather increasingly nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick is echoed by a different expansive ballad that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its built-in excess. It is a deep source of hidden treasure that requires time to fully mine but doesn't seem like a chore. While some major releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous feast where the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flutter from discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
