On the surface, Lux might appear closer to an arduous university quiz rather than a new popular music project from a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with a global pop star. Divided across four separate parts and voiced in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying classical-tinged work investigating female mystery, religious ascent, and bodily change, often through the perspective of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward here, buoyed by the constant presence of a major orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the efforts of other artists seem quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album succeeds in transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is almost miraculous, with full praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to blend the past with the present, the scale are far greater here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What truly raises her fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential spirit of joy. Much like the iconic Björk at her peak, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant spirit shines brightly during the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically exaggerated string surge crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track then segues to the wild single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm of this album is that you rarely quite know—or even wish to know—what it is going to next."
Nearly each track ends in a completely different point from where it began. A track explores the fleeting nature of celebrity over a featherlight symphony before disintegrating into digital cacophony. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins off moody and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Between Art & Accessibility
A key achievement of the album is straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks while it spirals upward. That feat is echoed by another expansive ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that requires time to fully explore but never feels like a chore. Where some major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish banquet at which the characters at the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter from discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
