At first glance, this work may look more like a difficult university examination rather than a new popular music project from an artist whose previous hit featured a global pop icon. Split into 4 different parts and voiced in thirteen tongues, this is a head-spinning classical-tinged work investigating female mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, often through the perspective of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot upwards here, supported by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive roll call of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself makes the efforts of other artists seem quite modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, with complete praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its stakes are far higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary artist at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless want to be right there through the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth clearly on a stunning Italian song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, everything drops away, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds down with comedic force. The track then segues to the wild track driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener rarely quite understand—nor want to know—where you will go next."
Nearly every track concludes in a completely different place than how it began. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity with a delicate symphony before collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing her previous rhythmic style starts out moody and brooding, with prowling vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement of Lux is navigating the line between radical innovation and broad appeal. This is little surprise that it has achieved her first work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song sung entirely in English swells on a chorus that seems to collect more and more infectious melodies as it spirals skyward. This trick is echoed on a different expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares with cultural impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that requires time to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the characters around it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from conversations about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative visionary.
