At first glance, this work could seem closer to an arduous academic challenge rather than the latest pop record by a musician whose previous hit featured an international K-pop star. Split across 4 distinct parts and voiced in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning classical-tinged work that delves into female mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently through the lens of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer among a long roll call of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the efforts of other pop stars appear quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual posturing feels nearly a miracle, with full praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to blend the past and the present, its stakes are far greater here, and the balancing act more pronounced. What really raises her fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist during her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking your heart apart, the listener still desire to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit shines clearly on a stirring Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle followed by a comment before a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds down like comedic force. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The magic with this album is that you never quite know—nor wish to predict—where it will go to next."
Nearly every song finishes at a completely different point from where it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Another, a cut echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic work starts out dark and brooding, with menacing vocals, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album is straddling the line of radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spins skyward. This trick is repeated by another expansive ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried gems that takes patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a lavish feast where the characters around it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
