On the surface, Lux might appear more like a difficult scholarly examination than a new pop project by an artist who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Split into four distinct parts and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced album investigating female mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently through the prism of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched upwards on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. The pure daring by itself renders the work of other pop stars seem quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in escape overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with full credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its ambitions are far greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What really raises her fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of fun. Much like the iconic artist at her height, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be right there for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on the stunning Italian ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated string crescendo crashes down with comedic impact. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm with this album is that you rarely quite understand—nor want to know—where you will go next."
Almost every song concludes in a completely different place from how it started. One moment explores the transient nature of fame with a delicate orchestration only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and brooding, with prowling beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to smooth its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of the album involves navigating the gap between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in English swells on a chorus that feels to gather increasingly nagging hooks while it spins skyward. This trick gets repeated by a different powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting an ex- partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high artistry amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep well of buried gems that requires patience to fully explore but doesn't feels like a chore. While other major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on sacred drink, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly restlessly creative visionary.
