Initially, this work may look more like a challenging academic examination rather than a new pop album by a musician whose previous single featured an international K-pop icon. Split into four distinct movements and sung in 13 languages, it is a breathtaking symphonic opus investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and corporal change, frequently via the perspective of various saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter among a long roll call of collaborators. The pure ambition alone makes the efforts of other artists look quite small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That this album manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not her first project to blend historical sounds with modern styles, its stakes feel far higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. What really raises her fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk at her peak, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you still desire to be alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That playful energy shines brightly during the stirring piano-led song about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, everything drops silent, and we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down with comedic force. The track then shifts to the wild single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener never exactly know—nor want to predict—where you will go next."
Nearly every song finishes in a completely distinct place than how it started. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her previous rhythmic work starts out dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Of Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux involves straddling the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is little coincidence that it has become the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language swells around a chorus that feels to gather increasingly infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick gets repeated on a different powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple tunes as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of other heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of hidden gems that takes time to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While other major pop albums of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests at it, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's truly endlessly creative visionary.
