On the surface, this album could seem closer to a challenging academic examination rather than the latest pop project by an artist who just had a last hit featured a global K-pop star. Split across four separate parts and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystique, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently through the perspective of different women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars skyward here, carried by the constant sound of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast roll call of contributors. The pure ambition alone renders the efforts of other artists appear quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That Lux succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with full praise going to Rosalía. While it's not her first album to blend historical sounds and modern styles, the ambitions are much higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. What truly raises this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic artist during her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still want to be right there for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on a stunning Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous laugh and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes down with comedic force. The song then shifts into the wild track driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in you rarely exactly know—nor wish to predict—what you will go next."
Almost every track ends at a totally different point from where it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic style starts out dark and sinister, with prowling beats, until fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic choir enter to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves navigating the line of bold experimentation and broad appeal. It is no coincidence that it has become her first release to crack the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track performed primarily in English builds on a refrain that seems to collect increasingly nagging melodies as it spirals skyward. This trick gets echoed by a different expansive ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album represents pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own built-in excess. This is an abundant source of hidden gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While other big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux offers a lavish feast where the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a modern-day musical from pop's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
