At first glance, this work might appear closer to an arduous academic challenge than the latest popular music record by a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken into 4 separate movements and sung in 13 tongues, this is a dizzying classical-tinged work investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and physical change, often through the perspective of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer daring alone renders the work of other pop stars look quite laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to avoid dry academic chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, and sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to alchemize the past with the present, the ambitions are much higher here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still desire to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines brightly during the stirring piano-led song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in like comedic impact. The song then segues into the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm of Lux lies in you rarely exactly understand—or even wish to predict—where you is going next."
Nearly every song ends in a totally different place from how it began. One moment explores the transient nature of fame with a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Another, a cut echoing her previous trap-infused work starts off dark and sinister, with menacing vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
A key achievement of Lux involves navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that the album has achieved her first work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in English swells around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals skyward. This feat is repeated by a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for high Art amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of hidden treasure that takes time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a lavish feast where the guests around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
