Initially, Lux might appear closer to an arduous academic quiz rather than a new popular music album by an artist who just had a last hit was a collaboration with a global pop icon. Divided across 4 distinct movements and sung in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus investigating female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently through the prism of various saintly figures. The end of a romance—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, supported by the lush presence of a full orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists appear quite modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to avoid dry academic posturing is nothing short of a miracle, and complete credit going to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, its scale are much greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. What really elevates her fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless want to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That playful energy comes forth clearly during a stunning piano-led song about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds down like cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues to the wild track featuring racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of this album is that you never exactly understand—or even want to predict—where you will go next."
Nearly each track finishes in a totally distinct point from where it began. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style begins off moody and brooding, with menacing beats, until fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Balance Between Experiment & Pop
Another crucial achievement of Lux involves navigating the line between bold innovation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song sung entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spins skyward. This feat is echoed on a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in being 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 high Art amid of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some major releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish feast at which the guests at it, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
