At first glance, this album may look closer to a challenging scholarly examination than the latest pop record by an artist who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Split into 4 distinct parts and voiced in 13 languages, it is a dizzying symphonic opus that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently via the perspective of different female saints. The end of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among a vast list of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary artists seem quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That Lux succeeds in escape overly academic posturing is almost miraculous, and sole praise going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time album to fuse the past with modern styles, its ambitions feel far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she is breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This playful energy comes forth brightly on a stirring piano-led ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, and we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes in like cartoonish force. The song immediately shifts into the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of this album is that you rarely quite understand—or even wish to know—where you will go to next."
Nearly every song finishes at a completely different point than how it began. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing her earlier rhythmic work starts off moody and sinister, with menacing beats, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Of Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on Lux is navigating the gap of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little surprise that it has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language builds around a chorus that seems to collect increasingly nagging melodies as it spins skyward. This feat gets repeated by a different powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried gems that takes time to completely explore but never feels like a chore. Where other major pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit from discussions about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly creative visionary.
