At first glance, Lux could seem closer to a challenging scholarly quiz rather than a new pop record from a musician who just had a last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Broken across 4 separate sections and sung in 13 tongues, it is a breathtaking symphonic work that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, frequently via the lens of different female saints. The end of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, supported by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter within a long list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the work of other pop stars appear rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, and sole praise belonging to the artist. While this is not her first album to fuse the past and the present, its stakes are far greater here, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. What really raises her fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its tornado. When she is tearing your heart in two, the listener still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That playful spirit shines brightly during a stirring piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes in with comedic impact. The track immediately segues into the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album is that you never quite understand—or even wish to know—what you is going next."
Nearly every song finishes in a totally distinct point than where it started. A track explores the fleeting nature of celebrity with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating in digital cacophony. Another, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work begins off moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, until sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Experiment & Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux is straddling the gap of bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's first release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song sung entirely in English swells around a chorus that seems to gather increasingly infectious melodies as it spins upward. That feat is repeated on another expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its own built-in excess. This is a deep source of buried treasure that requires patience to fully mine but never seem like hard work. Where some big releases of the year seemed like a meager scraps, this record offers a lavish banquet where the guests at it, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
