At first glance, this work might appear more like a difficult scholarly examination rather than the latest popular music album from an artist whose previous hit featured a global K-pop icon. Divided across four different sections and performed in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic opus that delves into female mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often via the lens of various saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone makes the efforts of other artists look rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking feels almost miraculous, and complete credit going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, its scale are far higher here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that truly raises her fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist during her peak, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. When she is breaking hearts in two, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That playful spirit comes forth clearly on the stirring piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds in with cartoonish force. The track then shifts into the wild track featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The magic with this album is that the listener never quite know—or even wish to know—where it is going next."
Almost every track concludes at a totally distinct place from how it started. A track explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused style begins out moody and sinister, with menacing vocals, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to soften its jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Pop
Another crucial achievement on Lux is straddling the gap between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little surprise that it has become the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in English swells around a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious hooks as it spins skyward. That trick is echoed on a different powerful ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep source of buried treasure that requires time to fully mine but never feels like a chore. Where other major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters at it, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
