At first glance, this work may look closer to a challenging academic quiz rather than the latest pop album from a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Divided into four different parts and voiced in 13 languages, this is a dizzying symphonic work exploring feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often by way of the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is launched skyward here, supported by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer daring by itself makes the efforts of other pop stars appear rather modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That Lux succeeds in transcend overly academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with full praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, the scale feel far greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk more precarious. The element that truly raises her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be a core sense of joy. Much like the legendary Björk during her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to be alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
That exuberant energy shines clearly on the stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Suddenly, everything drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down with comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The charm with Lux lies in the listener rarely quite understand—or even wish to predict—what it will go next."
Almost every song finishes in a completely different place from how it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate orchestration only to collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style begins off dark and brooding, with prowling beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir enter to smooth its rough corners.
The Balance Between Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album involves navigating the line between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that it has become her first work to crack the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in English builds on a chorus that seems to gather increasingly infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick gets echoed on a different expansive track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a sharp edge, like a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes patience to fully explore but never feels like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast where the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from music's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
