At first glance, this work could seem more like an arduous university examination rather than the latest popular music record by a musician whose last single featured a global pop icon. Split into four separate movements and voiced in thirteen tongues, it is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently through the perspective of different female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself renders the work of contemporary artists look quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That Lux manages to escape dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, with full praise going to the artist. Although it's not her first project to alchemize the past and the present, its ambitions feel far greater here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. What really elevates her fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, is a core spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic artist at her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to be alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That playful energy shines brightly on the stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds down with comedic force. The track then shifts to the wild single driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener never quite understand—or even want to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly each song ends in a completely different point than where it began. A track examines the fleeting nature of celebrity over a featherlight symphony before collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to soften its jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act of Lux is straddling the line between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little coincidence that it has become the artist's highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song sung primarily in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. This trick gets echoed by another powerful ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song charms with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting an ex- partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes time to completely mine but never seem like a chore. While other major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
