On the surface, this album could seem more like an arduous academic examination than the latest pop album by a musician who just had a last hit featured an international K-pop icon. Split across 4 separate parts and voiced in 13 tongues, it is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced work that delves into feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often through the prism of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of contributors. The pure audacity by itself renders the work of contemporary artists appear rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to avoid dry academic posturing feels almost miraculous, and sole credit going to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to alchemize the past and the present, its scale are much higher here, and the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that truly elevates this fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of fun. Much like the iconic Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless desire to stay alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit shines clearly on a stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string surge crashes in with cartoonish impact. The track immediately shifts into the frenetic single driven by racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with Lux is that the listener rarely exactly know—or even want to know—where it is going next."
Nearly every song ends at a totally different point than where it started. One moment explores the transient nature of celebrity with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused work starts off dark and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on the album involves straddling the line of radical innovation and broad accessibility. This is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in English builds on a refrain that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spirals skyward. That trick gets repeated by another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of other heartbreak songs, lambasting an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its built-in excess. This is a deep well of hidden gems that takes time to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. Where some big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux offers a lavish feast at which the guests at the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
