On the surface, this album might appear closer to an arduous university quiz rather than a new popular music album by an artist who just had a last hit featured a global K-pop star. Divided into four different sections and voiced in thirteen tongues, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, frequently via the prism of various women saints. The end of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched upwards on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer daring alone renders the work of contemporary pop stars appear rather modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in avoid overly academic posturing feels almost a miracle, and sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, the stakes are far greater on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. What truly elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core sense of joy. Much like the legendary artist during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines clearly on a stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, and we hear a spontaneous laugh and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string surge crashes in with cartoonish force. The song then segues into the wild track featuring racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener never quite understand—nor want to predict—what it is going to next."
Almost each track finishes in a completely distinct place from how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic work starts off dark and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album is straddling the gap of bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is little coincidence that it has achieved her first release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly nagging melodies as it spins skyward. That feat is repeated by a different expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires patience to fully explore but doesn't seem like hard work. Where other big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the characters around it, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's most restlessly creative practitioner.
