On the surface, Lux might appear closer to an arduous academic examination rather than a new pop project by an artist whose last single featured an international K-pop star. Broken across four separate sections and sung in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying classical-tinged work that delves into female mystery, religious ascent, and physical change, frequently via the lens of different saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive list of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself renders the work of other artists look rather small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album manages to escape overly academic posturing feels nearly miraculous, and sole praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to alchemize the past with the present, its stakes are much greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises her fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core sense of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk during her peak, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to be right there for the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit comes forth brightly during the stirring piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral surge crashes down like cartoonish impact. The track then shifts into the frenetic single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic of this album lies in you rarely exactly understand—or even wish to know—what you is going to next."
Almost every track finishes in a totally different point from where it began. A track explores the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style begins off dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to soften its jagged corners.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
A key balancing act on Lux is straddling the line between bold innovation and broad appeal. It is little surprise that the album has achieved her first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spins skyward. That feat gets echoed by another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where other big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests at it, some intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly creative visionary.
