On the surface, this work could seem more like a difficult academic quiz rather than the latest pop project by a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided across 4 different sections and sung in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged work exploring female mystique, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, often through the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the efforts of other pop stars look quite laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
The fact that this album manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, and complete credit going to the artist. While this is not her first album to fuse the past and modern styles, its scale feel much greater here, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that really raises her fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she is breaking hearts in two, the listener still want to be right there for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
That playful energy comes forth brightly on a stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several moments. Suddenly, all the music drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo thuds in with comedic force. The track immediately shifts into the wild single driven by racing strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album is that the listener never quite understand—or even want to predict—where it is going to next."
Nearly every song finishes at a totally distinct place than where it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic style begins off dark and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its rough corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves navigating the line of radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. One track performed primarily in English swells on a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spirals skyward. This feat gets echoed by a different powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried gems that requires time to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While other major releases of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish banquet at which the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
