At first glance, Lux could seem more like an arduous scholarly quiz rather than a new pop album by an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Split across four distinct movements and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, often by way of the perspective of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, carried by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars seem quite small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with complete praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to blend historical sounds with the present, its ambitions are much higher here, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
This playful energy comes forth clearly during a stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over several moments. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes in like cartoonish force. The track immediately shifts into the wild track featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of Lux lies in you never quite understand—nor wish to predict—what it is going next."
Almost each song concludes in a completely distinct point than where it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing her earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Pop
A key balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. This is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's first release to break into the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in English builds on a chorus that seems to gather increasingly infectious hooks as it spins upward. That trick gets repeated on another powerful ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining layered tunes like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried gems that takes patience to fully mine but doesn't seem like a chore. While other big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous feast where the guests at it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly creative visionary.
