At first glance, this work could seem more like a challenging university quiz than a new popular music album by a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Divided into four distinct parts and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a head-spinning symphonic opus that delves into feminine mystery, religious ascent, and physical change, frequently by way of the lens of various female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot upwards on this record, carried by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend overly intellectual posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, with full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, the stakes are far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What really raises this fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the legendary artist during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, the listener still want to stay alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly during a stunning piano-led ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Then, everything drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes in with cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux is that the listener rarely quite know—nor wish to know—what you is going to next."
Almost every track concludes at a completely different place than how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused work starts off moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap of radical innovation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in English builds on a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious hooks as it spins upward. That trick gets echoed on another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in excess. It is an abundant source of hidden gems that requires patience to fully explore but never seem like hard work. Where other major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the guests around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter from conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
