At first glance, Lux may look closer to an arduous academic quiz rather than a new popular music album by an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Divided into four different parts and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced work that delves into feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently through the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself renders the work of other pop stars appear rather small.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That Lux succeeds in transcend dry academic posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, the stakes are far greater here, and the balancing act more precarious. The element that really raises her fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of fun. Much like the legendary artist at her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. Even when she is tearing your heart in two, you still desire to be alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth brightly on a stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes down like comedic impact. The song immediately shifts to the wild track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener never quite understand—nor want to know—what you will go next."
Nearly each song finishes in a totally distinct place from where it started. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a delicate orchestration before collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style begins off moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux involves straddling the gap of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that the album has achieved her first release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song sung primarily in English swells on a refrain that seems to gather increasingly infectious melodies as it spins upward. This feat gets echoed on a different expansive ballad that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own inherent excess. It is a deep source of hidden gems that takes time to fully explore but never seem like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly restlessly creative visionary.
