On the surface, Lux might appear closer to a challenging university examination rather than a new popular music record by a musician whose previous hit featured an international K-pop icon. Divided into 4 different movements and sung in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying symphonic work exploring feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, often by way of the prism of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is launched skyward here, carried by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer daring by itself makes the efforts of other artists look quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux succeeds in avoid overly academic posturing is nearly miraculous, with full credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to fuse the past with the present, the stakes feel much higher here, with the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly raises her fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary artist during her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its tornado. When she's breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to stay right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines brightly during the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several minutes. Suddenly, everything falls silent, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle and a comment prior to a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds in like comedic force. The track immediately shifts to the wild track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with Lux is that you never exactly know—or even want to predict—what you will go next."
Nearly each track concludes at a completely distinct place than where it began. One moment explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous trap-infused work starts off moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
A key achievement of the album involves navigating the gap between bold innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has become her first release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging melodies as it spins upward. This feat is repeated by another powerful ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its built-in excess. It is a deep well of buried gems that requires time to completely mine but never feels like a chore. While some big releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at it, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
