On the surface, this album might appear closer to an arduous scholarly quiz than the latest pop record from a musician who just had a last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Split into 4 distinct parts and voiced in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying symphonic work investigating female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often by way of the lens of various female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, buoyed by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within a long roll call of collaborators. The pure daring by itself makes the efforts of other pop stars look quite laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to avoid overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, and sole credit going to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, its scale feel much greater on Lux, and the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and engrained drama, is a core sense of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener into its tornado. When she's tearing your heart in two, the listener still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This playful spirit comes forth clearly during a stunning piano-led ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes in with cartoonish impact. The track then segues to the wild single driven by galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener never exactly know—nor want to know—where it will go next."
Nearly each song ends at a totally distinct point from how it began. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate symphony before collapsing in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous trap-infused style starts out moody and brooding, with prowling beats, before fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to soften its rough corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Accessibility
A key balancing act on the album involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little surprise that it has become the artist's highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in English builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more nagging melodies as it spins skyward. That trick gets repeated by another expansive track that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its own built-in excess. It is a deep source of buried treasure that requires patience to completely mine but never seem like a chore. While some major releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from discussions about historical figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
