On the surface, Lux might appear closer to a challenging academic examination than a new pop album by a musician who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Divided across 4 different movements and voiced in thirteen tongues, it is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced opus investigating feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, often through the perspective of various saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward here, buoyed by the constant sound of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the efforts of other artists appear quite small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album manages to avoid overly intellectual posturing is almost a miracle, with complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to alchemize the past and the present, the scale feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. What really raises her fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is an essential sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she's tearing your heart in two, you still want to be alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines clearly on the stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes in with comedic impact. The track immediately shifts into the frenetic track driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm of Lux is that you never quite understand—nor wish to predict—where it is going next."
Almost every track finishes at a totally distinct point than where it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating into digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic style starts out dark and sinister, with prowling beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough corners.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act on the album is straddling the line of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in the English language swells on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly infectious hooks as it spins skyward. That feat is repeated on another expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of other breakup songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, like a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its own built-in excess. It is a deep well of buried treasure that requires time to completely explore but doesn't seem like a chore. Where other big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the characters at the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
