Initially, Lux may look closer to an arduous academic examination than the latest popular music record from an artist whose previous single featured an international K-pop icon. Split across 4 distinct sections and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced work exploring feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, often by way of the lens of different women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone makes the work of other pop stars appear rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album succeeds in avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and sole credit belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not her first album to blend the past and modern styles, the scale feel much higher on Lux, and the balancing act more pronounced. What truly elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Much like the iconic artist during her peak, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. When she is breaking hearts apart, the listener still desire to stay alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This playful spirit shines brightly during a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo thuds in like cartoonish force. The track then segues to the wild track driven by racing strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The charm of this album is that you rarely quite understand—or even wish to know—what it is going next."
Almost every track ends at a totally different point from how it started. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic style starts off moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its jagged corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Pop
A key balancing act on Lux involves navigating the gap of bold innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spins upward. That feat is repeated on another expansive track that expands and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for high Art amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. It is a deep well of buried treasure that takes time to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a lavish banquet where the guests around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly restlessly creative visionary.
