Initially, this work could seem closer to a challenging scholarly challenge rather than a new pop project from an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Split across four different sections and sung in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying symphonic opus investigating female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, often by way of the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That this album succeeds in avoid dry intellectual posturing feels almost miraculous, and sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to blend the past and the present, its ambitions feel far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk more precarious. What really elevates her fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is a core sense of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk during her height, you find a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts in two, you still want to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth brightly during the stunning piano-led ballad about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated string surge crashes in like comedic impact. The track then segues into the wild single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm with this album lies in the listener rarely exactly know—nor want to predict—where it will go to next."
Nearly every track concludes at a completely distinct place than where it began. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic work begins out dark and sinister, with menacing vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to soften the song's rough edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux involves navigating the line of radical experimentation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in English swells on a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spins upward. This feat gets repeated by a different powerful ballad that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with cultural honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its own built-in excess. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that requires patience to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While other major releases of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly creative visionary.
