On the surface, this album might appear closer to an arduous university examination rather than the latest popular music project by an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Divided into 4 distinct movements and sung in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying symphonic album exploring female mystique, religious ascent, and corporal change, frequently via the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, carried by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear quite modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
The fact that this album manages to transcend dry academic chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with complete praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first project to fuse the past and the present, the scale are far higher here, and the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, you still want to stay right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
That playful energy shines brightly during the stirring Italian song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Then, everything drops away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues into the wild single featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album is that you rarely exactly understand—nor want to know—what it will go next."
Nearly every song ends in a totally distinct point than how it began. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic style starts out dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
Another crucial achievement of the album involves navigating the line of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spirals skyward. This trick is echoed on another powerful ballad that grows and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes time to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter from conversations about ancient figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
