Initially, this work could seem closer to a challenging academic quiz than a new popular music record by a musician who just had a previous single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split into four distinct sections and sung in 13 tongues, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged album that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, often via the prism of various female saints. The end of a relationship—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, carried by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a long roll call of contributors. The pure daring by itself makes the work of contemporary artists appear rather modest.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album manages to avoid dry academic chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, and full credit going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to blend historical sounds with the present, its ambitions feel much greater on Lux, and the balancing act far more precarious. The element that really raises her fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Much like the iconic artist at her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its tornado. Even when she is breaking hearts apart, you still desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This playful spirit shines brightly during a stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds down like cartoonish force. The song immediately segues into the frenetic single driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album is that the listener never exactly understand—nor want to predict—where you will go next."
Nearly each track concludes in a completely distinct point from where it started. A track explores the fleeting nature of fame over a featherlight symphony only to collapsing into electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing her previous trap-infused style starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on Lux is straddling the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. A song sung primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks while it spins upward. That feat gets repeated by a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album represents pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high Art amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its built-in excess. It is a deep source of hidden treasure that requires patience to completely explore but never feels like hard work. Where other big releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast where the guests at it, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about useless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most restlessly creative practitioner.
