At first glance, this work could seem closer to a challenging scholarly challenge than a new popular music project by a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Divided into four distinct sections and sung in thirteen tongues, this is a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus exploring feminine mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the lens of various female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, carried by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a long list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the work of other pop stars appear rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to avoid dry academic chin-stroking is almost miraculous, and sole credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not her first album to fuse historical sounds with the present, the ambitions are far higher here, and the balancing act more precarious. The element that truly elevates her fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist at her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. When she's tearing your heart in two, the listener still want to stay right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stunning piano-led song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Suddenly, everything falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues into the wild single driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic with Lux is that the listener never quite understand—or even wish to predict—where it will go next."
Almost every track concludes in a completely different place than how it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts off dark and brooding, with prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Pop
A key achievement on Lux involves straddling the line of radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no surprise that it has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track performed entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals upward. This feat is echoed by a different powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural honesty of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that takes time to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where some major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast at which the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter from conversations about historical figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most endlessly inventive visionary.
