On the surface, this work might appear closer to a difficult academic examination rather than the latest popular music record by an artist whose previous single featured an international K-pop star. Split into four distinct movements and sung in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, often via the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, carried by the lush presence of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the efforts of other pop stars seem rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That Lux succeeds in escape overly intellectual chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to blend historical sounds and modern styles, the ambitions feel much higher here, and the balancing act far more precarious. The element that really elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, you still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines brightly during the stirring piano-led ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several minutes. Then, all the music drops away, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string surge thuds in like comedic impact. The song immediately shifts into the wild single driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The charm with this album is that you never exactly know—nor want to know—where it will go to next."
Almost every track ends at a completely distinct point from where it started. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity with a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins off dark and sinister, with prowling beats, until fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Of Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act of Lux involves straddling the gap between bold innovation and broad appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become her highest-charting release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in English builds on a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious hooks as it spins skyward. That feat gets echoed on a different expansive ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares with cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting an ex- partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried treasure that requires time to fully mine but never seem like a chore. While some major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish banquet where the characters around the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
