🔗 Share this article

At first glance, this album could seem closer to an arduous scholarly examination than the latest popular music album from a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided across four distinct parts and sung in thirteen tongues, it is a breathtaking symphonic work investigating female mystery, religious ascent, and physical transformation, frequently through the prism of various female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward here, supported by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars look quite laughable.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly intellectual posturing feels almost a miracle, with full credit going to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to blend the past and the present, the stakes are far greater here, with the balancing act far more precarious. What truly raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Much like the iconic artist at her peak, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing your heart apart, the listener still desire to be right there for the journey.

A Signature Example of Exuberance

This playful energy shines brightly on the stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for several minutes. Then, all the music drops away, and there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes down with comedic impact. The song then shifts to the frenetic single driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.

"The charm of Lux is that the listener never exactly know—nor want to know—what it is going next."

Almost every track finishes in a completely distinct point than where it started. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony before collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic style starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to soften its jagged corners.

The Bridge Of Art & Accessibility

Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves straddling the gap between bold innovation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to crack the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging melodies as it spins skyward. That trick gets repeated on a different powerful ballad that grows and contracts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate weave.

• A waltz-like number charms with its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
• In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- lover labeled an "psychological bully".
• Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."

An Opulent Feast for the Soul

This album is pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its own built-in excess. It is a deep source of buried gems that requires patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While other big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, some tipsy on sacred wine, flit from discussions about historical saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly creative visionary.