On the surface, this work could seem closer to an arduous scholarly challenge rather than a new popular music album by a musician whose last hit featured an international K-pop icon. Split across four distinct parts and sung in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced work that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, frequently through the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot upwards here, buoyed by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone makes the work of other pop stars appear quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, and full credit going to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to blend historical sounds and modern styles, the scale are far greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. The element that truly elevates her fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she is tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless want to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
That playful energy shines brightly on the stirring piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several moments. Suddenly, everything drops away, and we hear a spontaneous laugh and a declaration prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues into the wild single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The charm with Lux lies in the listener rarely exactly understand—or even want to predict—what it will go next."
Almost each song ends at a completely distinct point from how it began. One moment explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls her previous rhythmic style begins off dark and sinister, with menacing beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir enter to soften its jagged edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Pop
A key achievement on the album involves straddling the gap of bold experimentation and broad accessibility. This is little coincidence that it has become her first release to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track sung entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that seems to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spins skyward. That feat is echoed by another expansive ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry amid of looming artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes time to completely mine but never seem like hard work. Where other major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
