On the surface, this album might appear more like a difficult academic examination rather than the latest pop record from a musician who just had a last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Split across four separate parts and sung in thirteen languages, it is a breathtaking symphonic opus exploring feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and bodily transformation, often through the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. The pure daring by itself makes the work of contemporary artists appear rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, and full credit belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time project to blend the past and the present, its stakes feel far greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk more pronounced. What truly elevates this fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, is a core spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary artist at her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This playful energy comes forth clearly during a stunning Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Then, everything drops away, and there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes in like cartoonish force. The song then segues to the frenetic single featuring galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic with this album lies in you never quite know—nor wish to predict—where you is going to next."
Nearly each track ends at a totally distinct place from how it started. A track explores the transient nature of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her earlier trap-infused style starts off dark and sinister, with prowling beats, until fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its rough corners.
The Bridge Of Art & Pop
A key balancing act of Lux is navigating the line of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. One track sung primarily in English swells around a refrain that feels to gather more and more infectious hooks while it spins skyward. This feat is echoed on a different powerful track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a storybook character concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for high Art in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires patience to fully explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some big releases of the year seemed like a meager scraps, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the characters at the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flit from discussions about historical saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
