Initially, Lux could seem more like a difficult scholarly quiz rather than a new pop album by a musician whose last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Broken across 4 distinct movements and performed in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus investigating feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, often through the prism of various female saints. The end of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a long list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars appear rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That this album succeeds in escape overly intellectual chin-stroking is almost a miracle, with sole praise going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to blend the past with modern styles, its stakes feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that really raises this fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Much like the iconic artist during her height, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart apart, you nevertheless desire to stay right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
This playful spirit comes forth clearly on a stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in like comedic force. The song immediately shifts to the wild single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of Lux lies in the listener never exactly understand—nor want to predict—where you is going next."
Nearly each song finishes at a completely distinct place than how it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts off dark and brooding, with prowling beats, until sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
A key achievement on the album is straddling the gap of bold innovation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spirals upward. This trick gets repeated by a different powerful ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, like a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album represents pop on a grand scale, a hungry reach for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of hidden gems that requires patience to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around the table, some tipsy on sacred wine, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about useless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
