On the surface, this work may look more like a difficult university quiz rather than a new pop record from an artist who just had a last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Broken into four different parts and sung in 13 languages, this is a head-spinning classical-tinged work that delves into female mystique, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently through the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, supported by the lush presence of a major orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long roll call of contributors. The pure daring alone makes the work of contemporary artists seem quite laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing feels nothing short of a miracle, and complete praise going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds and modern styles, the scale are much greater on Lux, with the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that really elevates her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, is a core sense of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk during her height, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener into its tornado. When she is tearing hearts in two, you still desire to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit shines brightly during the stirring Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Then, all the music drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string surge thuds in with cartoonish impact. The song immediately shifts to the wild single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The charm with Lux is that you rarely exactly know—or even want to predict—what you is going to next."
Almost every track concludes in a totally different point from how it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony before collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing her earlier rhythmic work starts off dark and brooding, with prowling vocals, before fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Of Experiment and Pop
Another crucial achievement on Lux involves straddling the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that it has become the artist's first work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy hits. A song sung entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spins upward. That trick gets repeated on another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes as a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album is pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep well of buried gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While other big pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast where the characters at the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative practitioner.
