On the surface, this work could seem closer to a difficult university examination than a new popular music record from an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Split into 4 distinct movements and voiced in 13 tongues, we have a head-spinning symphonic album investigating female mystery, religious ascent, and physical transformation, often via the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, supported by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of collaborators. The pure daring by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars look rather modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend overly intellectual posturing is almost miraculous, with full praise going to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to alchemize the past with modern styles, the scale feel much greater here, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. What truly elevates her fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is a core spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk during her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth brightly during the stirring piano-led song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string surge crashes in with comedic impact. The song immediately segues into the wild single featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with this album lies in the listener never exactly know—nor wish to know—what you is going to next."
Nearly each song ends at a totally distinct point than where it began. A track examines the transient trappings of fame with a featherlight symphony before collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous rhythmic work starts off dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Pop
A key achievement on the album involves navigating the line of bold innovation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of truly catchy hits. A song performed entirely in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spirals skyward. This trick gets repeated by another expansive ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture honesty of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art amid of impending artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of buried gems that takes time to fully explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where some major releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a lavish banquet at which the characters around it, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
