Initially, this album may look more like an arduous scholarly challenge than the latest pop album by an artist whose last hit featured an international pop star. Broken into four separate parts and sung in 13 languages, it is a head-spinning symphonic album investigating feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently by way of the lens of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched upwards here, carried by the lush presence of a major orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone renders the work of other artists look quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That Lux manages to avoid dry academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with sole praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, the scale are far greater here, with the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential sense of joy. Similar to the legendary artist during her peak, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That exuberant energy shines clearly during a stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, all the music falls away, and there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish force. The song immediately shifts into the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm with Lux is that the listener never exactly know—or even want to predict—where it is going to next."
Almost each track ends at a completely different place than where it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight symphony before collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic work begins off dark and brooding, with menacing beats, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux involves navigating the line of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is no surprise that the album has achieved her first work to crack the Top 5 of major markets: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. That feat is echoed by another powerful track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it shares with cultural impact of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A Art amid of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep well of buried gems that takes patience to fully explore but never seem like hard work. Where some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast at which the guests around it, some tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
