Initially, Lux may look closer to a difficult academic challenge than a new popular music album from an artist whose previous single featured a global K-pop star. Split into 4 distinct movements and sung in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying symphonic opus exploring feminine mystery, religious ascent, and physical transformation, frequently by way of the perspective of various women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone makes the work of other pop stars appear rather modest.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly academic posturing is nothing short of a miracle, with full praise going to Rosalía. While it's not her first project to alchemize the past with modern styles, its scale are much greater here, and the balancing act more precarious. What really elevates this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk at her height, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to be alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth brightly on a stirring Italian ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Suddenly, everything falls silent, and there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string surge thuds down like comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux is that you never quite know—nor wish to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly every song concludes at a completely distinct point from how it began. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused style starts out dark and sinister, with prowling vocals, until sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Art & Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is navigating the line between bold innovation and broad accessibility. This is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in English builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spins upward. That trick is echoed on a different powerful track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but never feels like hard work. Where some big releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at it, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
