On the surface, this work may look closer to an arduous university examination rather than a new popular music record from a musician who just had a last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Split into 4 separate movements and sung in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced album that delves into female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, frequently by way of the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward here, buoyed by the lush presence of a full orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists look quite modest.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That Lux succeeds in escape overly academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with sole praise belonging to Rosalía. While it's not the first time album to blend the past with modern styles, its scale feel much higher here, with the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises her fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic artist during her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to stay right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
That exuberant spirit comes forth brightly during the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Then, everything drops silent, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down with cartoonish force. The song then segues to the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener never exactly know—nor want to predict—where you is going to next."
Nearly every song concludes at a totally different point than how it started. A track explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style begins off dark and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly choir arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
A key balancing act on Lux is navigating the line of bold experimentation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that it has become her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in English builds around a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spirals upward. This trick gets repeated on another powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture honesty of other heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album is pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep source of hidden treasure that requires time to completely explore but never seem like hard work. Where other major releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, this record is a lavish feast where the characters at it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most endlessly inventive visionary.
