At first glance, Lux might appear more like a difficult scholarly challenge than a new popular music project from an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Divided across four separate parts and performed in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking symphonic work exploring feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, frequently via the prism of different saintly figures. The end of a romance—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched upwards here, supported by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure daring by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in escape overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, and complete praise belonging to Rosalía. While it's not her first project to fuse historical sounds with the present, the scale feel much greater on Lux, and the balancing act more precarious. What really elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of fun. Much like the legendary artist during her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its tornado. When she is breaking hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant spirit shines brightly during the stunning Italian song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, and we hear a gleeful laugh and a declaration before a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds down with comedic force. The song then segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener rarely exactly know—or even wish to predict—what you is going to next."
Almost each track ends in a totally different point from where it started. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her previous rhythmic style starts out moody and brooding, with prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
A key balancing act of Lux involves straddling the line of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no surprise that the album has become her highest-charting release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in the English language swells around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly nagging hooks while it spins upward. This feat is repeated by another powerful track that expands and contracts, intertwining layered melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural impact of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden gems that takes patience to fully explore but never feels like a chore. While some major releases of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish banquet at which the characters around it, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between conversations about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
