At first glance, this work might appear closer to a challenging academic quiz than a new popular music record by a musician whose last single featured an international pop star. Broken into 4 separate parts and voiced in thirteen tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced album that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, frequently via the perspective of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter among a long list of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the efforts of other pop stars look rather modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to escape overly academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with complete credit belonging to the artist. While this is not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds and modern styles, its ambitions are far greater here, and the balancing act more precarious. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its tornado. When she's breaking hearts apart, the listener still desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant energy shines clearly on the stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, everything drops silent, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a comment prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds in like comedic impact. The song immediately shifts to the wild single driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with Lux is that you rarely quite know—nor want to know—what you is going to next."
Nearly each song ends in a totally different point than how it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate symphony before disintegrating in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic style begins off dark and brooding, featuring menacing beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
A key balancing act on Lux is navigating the line of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is no surprise that the album has become her first release to crack the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals skyward. This trick gets repeated by another powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its own built-in excess. It is a deep well of hidden gems that requires patience to completely explore but never feels like a chore. Where some major pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the characters around the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
