On the surface, this work could seem more like an arduous scholarly examination rather than the latest popular music project from a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Split into four separate parts and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking symphonic album investigating female mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, frequently via the lens of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, buoyed by the lush sound of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning composer within a long list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone renders the work of other artists appear quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That this album succeeds in avoid overly academic posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, its stakes are far higher here, and the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that really elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Much like the iconic artist at her height, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless want to be alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on a stirring piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four moments. Then, all the music falls away, and there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down with comedic impact. The song immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm of Lux lies in the listener never exactly understand—nor want to predict—what you will go to next."
Nearly every song finishes in a completely different point from how it began. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating in digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls her earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and sinister, with prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
A key achievement of the album involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that the album has become the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. A song performed primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious melodies as it spins skyward. This trick is repeated on another powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden gems that requires patience to fully explore but never seem like a chore. Where some big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
