Initially, this album might appear more like an arduous academic quiz rather than the latest pop project from an artist who just had a previous single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split into four distinct movements and sung in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work that delves into female mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, often through the prism of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, supported by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. The pure daring alone renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear rather laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in transcend dry academic posturing feels almost miraculous, and full praise going to the artist. Although it's not her first album to fuse the past and the present, the scale are far greater here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What truly raises her fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk during her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its tornado. Even when she's breaking your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to be right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on a stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes down like comedic impact. The track immediately shifts into the wild track driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener rarely quite know—or even wish to predict—where you will go next."
Nearly every track concludes at a completely different point than how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused style begins off moody and sinister, with prowling beats, until sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
A key achievement of Lux involves navigating the line of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little surprise that it has become her first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song sung primarily in English swells around a refrain that seems to gather increasingly nagging hooks as it spirals upward. This trick gets echoed by a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares with cultural impact of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of buried treasure that takes time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux offers a lavish banquet where the guests at it, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit between discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
