At first glance, this work may look closer to an arduous university examination than a new popular music record by an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken across 4 separate sections and sung in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning symphonic work investigating feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often by way of the prism of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, buoyed by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a long list of collaborators. The pure audacity alone makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear quite laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in avoid overly intellectual posturing is nearly a miracle, and sole praise going to the artist. Although this is not her first project to blend historical sounds with modern styles, its ambitions are far greater here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. What really elevates this fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of playfulness. Similar to the legendary artist during her height, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she is tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That playful energy comes forth brightly on the stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds down like comedic force. The song immediately shifts to the frenetic single driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic with this album lies in you never exactly understand—or even wish to predict—what you will go to next."
Almost each track ends in a completely distinct point than where it started. A track explores the transient nature of celebrity over a delicate symphony only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused work begins off dark and brooding, with menacing vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement on the album is straddling the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that the album has become her first release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins upward. That trick gets echoed on another expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried treasure that requires time to completely mine but doesn't seem like a chore. Where some major releases of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux offers a lavish banquet at which the guests around it, some tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's most restlessly creative visionary.
