On the surface, this work might appear closer to an arduous scholarly examination rather than the latest pop project by a musician who just had a previous hit featured a global K-pop icon. Divided into four separate movements and sung in thirteen languages, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus exploring female mystique, religious ascent, and bodily transformation, often through the lens of various saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone renders the efforts of other pop stars look quite laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album manages to transcend dry academic posturing is almost a miracle, with complete credit going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to fuse historical sounds with modern styles, its ambitions are far higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. What really elevates her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic artist during her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its tornado. Even when she's breaking your heart apart, the listener still desire to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly during the stirring Italian ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, and there's a spontaneous laugh and a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge crashes down with comedic impact. The track immediately segues into the wild track driven by racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm of this album is that the listener rarely exactly know—or even wish to know—what you is going next."
Almost every track ends in a totally distinct place than how it began. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a delicate orchestration before collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused work begins off dark and brooding, with prowling vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly choir enter to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux involves navigating the gap of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in the English language swells around a refrain that feels to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spins skyward. That trick is echoed on another powerful track that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces via its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of impending artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. Where other big releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a lavish banquet where the guests around the table, some tipsy on sacred wine, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
