Initially, this album might appear closer to a challenging scholarly quiz than the latest popular music project by an artist who just had a previous hit featured a global K-pop star. Split into 4 separate parts and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged work exploring female mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical change, frequently by way of the perspective of various saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with raw openness elsewhere—soars heavenward here, supported by the constant sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to escape overly intellectual chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, with sole praise belonging to the artist. Although this is not her first project to alchemize the past with the present, its scale feel much greater here, with the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential spirit of fun. Much like the iconic artist during her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its tornado. Even when she is tearing hearts apart, the listener nevertheless want to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant energy comes forth clearly during a stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a declaration before a comically exaggerated orchestral surge thuds in with cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm of Lux is that the listener rarely quite understand—or even wish to predict—what you will go next."
Nearly each track finishes at a completely different place than where it began. A track explores the transient trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work begins off dark and brooding, with prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux involves straddling the line of bold innovation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in English swells on a refrain that feels to gather increasingly nagging melodies while it spins skyward. That trick gets repeated by a different powerful ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux is pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high Art amid of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires time to completely explore but never seem like a chore. Where some big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish banquet where the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
