On the surface, this work may look more like a challenging scholarly challenge than a new pop album by a musician who just had a last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Split into 4 distinct parts and sung in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic album investigating female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, frequently via the prism of various female saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched upwards on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the work of other pop stars look rather laughable.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That this album succeeds in escape overly intellectual posturing is nothing short of a miracle, with complete credit going to the artist. While it's not her first project to alchemize the past with modern styles, the ambitions are much higher here, and the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly on the stirring Italian song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down like comedic impact. The song then segues into the wild track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album is that the listener rarely exactly know—or even want to know—what it will go next."
Nearly every song ends in a completely different place than where it began. One moment explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight symphony before collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused style begins off dark and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth its jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves straddling the line between bold innovation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song performed entirely in English swells on a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. That feat gets repeated on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of other breakup songs, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of hidden gems that takes time to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While other big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish banquet where the guests at it, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flutter from discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative practitioner.
