At first glance, this work could seem closer to a difficult scholarly examination than the latest pop record from an artist whose previous single featured a global K-pop icon. Broken across four separate movements and voiced in thirteen languages, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, frequently by way of the perspective of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot upwards on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer daring by itself makes the efforts of other pop stars appear quite small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to transcend overly academic posturing is almost a miracle, with sole credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to blend historical sounds and the present, its ambitions feel far greater on Lux, and the balancing act more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of fun. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. Even when she is tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly during the stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several moments. Suddenly, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish force. The song then shifts to the wild single driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm with this album is that the listener rarely quite understand—nor wish to predict—where you will go to next."
Nearly each song finishes in a totally different place from where it began. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous trap-infused style begins out moody and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften its jagged corners.
The Bridge Of Art & Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album involves straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in English swells around a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious melodies while it spins upward. This trick is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a maximalist 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 skillfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of hidden gems that requires time to fully explore but never seem like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous feast at which the guests at it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about useless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
