Initially, this work might appear closer to a challenging university quiz rather than the latest pop album from an artist who just had a previous hit featured an international K-pop icon. Split into 4 separate parts and sung in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged album that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently by way of the perspective of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, carried by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the efforts of other pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking feels almost miraculous, with full praise going to the artist. While this is not the first time project to fuse historical sounds with modern styles, the stakes feel much higher on Lux, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly elevates this fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That exuberant energy shines clearly during the stirring piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds down like comedic force. The track then shifts to the frenetic single driven by racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener never exactly know—or even wish to predict—what it will go to next."
Almost every track ends in a completely different point from how it began. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate orchestration only to collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work begins off moody and brooding, with menacing beats, until fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
A key achievement of Lux involves navigating the gap between radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key charts: at its core a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in English builds around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spins upward. That trick is echoed by another powerful track that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high artistry in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes time to completely mine but never feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux offers a lavish banquet at which the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
