On the surface, Lux may look more like a difficult scholarly challenge rather than a new popular music project by an artist whose last hit featured an international pop icon. Split across 4 distinct sections and voiced in thirteen tongues, this is a head-spinning symphonic work that delves into female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently through the lens of different women saints. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, carried by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of contributors. The pure audacity by itself renders the work of contemporary pop stars seem quite laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux succeeds in transcend dry academic posturing is almost a miracle, with complete praise belonging to Rosalía. While it's not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds and modern styles, its scale are much higher here, with the balancing act more precarious. What truly raises this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is an essential spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines brightly on a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, everything drops away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a comment prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds in like comedic impact. The song immediately shifts to the wild single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic with Lux is that you never quite understand—nor want to predict—where you is going to next."
Nearly every song ends in a completely distinct point than where it began. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony only to disintegrating into digital cacophony. Another, a song echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins off dark and sinister, with prowling beats, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is navigating the gap between radical innovation and broad accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has become her first release to crack the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in English swells on a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spirals upward. This feat is echoed on a different expansive track that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden gems that requires time to completely explore but never seem like a chore. Where some big releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast where the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit from discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
