On the surface, Lux could seem closer to a challenging academic quiz rather than the latest pop record from an artist whose last hit featured an international K-pop icon. Split across 4 separate parts and performed in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking symphonic album exploring feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often via the prism of various women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer daring alone makes the efforts of other artists appear rather modest.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
The fact that this album succeeds in escape overly academic posturing is nothing short of a miracle, with sole praise going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to blend historical sounds with the present, its scale feel much higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. What really raises her fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls you into its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, the listener still want to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That playful energy comes forth brightly during the stunning piano-led ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish force. The track immediately shifts into the wild track driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener never quite understand—nor wish to know—where it is going to next."
Almost every song finishes in a completely distinct point than how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic style starts off moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on Lux involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and broad appeal. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in English builds around a chorus that feels to gather increasingly nagging hooks while it spins skyward. That feat is repeated by a different expansive track that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden gems that requires time to completely mine but never feels like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the characters around it, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
