Initially, Lux may look more like an arduous university challenge than a new popular music project by a musician who just had a last hit featured a global pop star. Divided into 4 different sections and performed in 13 languages, it is a dizzying classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently through the lens of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward here, carried by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure audacity alone renders the work of other pop stars appear rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to escape overly academic chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, with complete credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to fuse historical sounds and the present, its stakes are much higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she's tearing your heart apart, the listener still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down with comedic impact. The track then segues into the wild single driven by galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The charm of Lux lies in you rarely exactly know—or even wish to predict—where it will go to next."
Almost every track ends at a totally distinct place from where it started. A track explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused work starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art & Pop
Another crucial balancing act of the album involves navigating the gap of bold experimentation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that it has achieved her first work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track sung entirely in English swells on a refrain that seems to gather increasingly infectious hooks while it spins skyward. This feat gets repeated by another powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires time to completely mine but doesn't seem like a chore. While some major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record offers a lavish banquet where the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless men. It is a modern-day musical from music's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
