On the surface, this album could seem closer to a difficult academic examination rather than the latest pop album from a musician whose last hit featured an international K-pop star. Broken across four different movements and sung in 13 languages, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged album investigating female mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, frequently by way of the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a long roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity alone renders the work of contemporary pop stars appear quite small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album succeeds in escape overly intellectual posturing is nothing short of miraculous, with sole praise going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to fuse the past and modern styles, the ambitions feel far higher here, and the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts apart, the listener nevertheless desire to be right there through the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
That playful energy comes forth clearly on a stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four moments. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds in like cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues into the wild track driven by racing strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The magic with this album is that you rarely exactly understand—nor wish to predict—where it will go to next."
Almost every track concludes in a completely different place from how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and sinister, with prowling beats, until fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Art & Pop
A key balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's first release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in English builds around a refrain that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick is echoed by a different powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms via its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture honesty of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp edge, like a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires patience to fully explore but never feels like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a lavish feast at which the guests at it, some tipsy on sacred wine, flutter from discussions about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
