Initially, this album could seem closer to a challenging academic quiz rather than the latest popular music project from an artist who just had a last single featured a global pop icon. Broken into four different sections and voiced in 13 languages, this is a breathtaking symphonic work exploring feminine mystique, religious ascent, and bodily change, often via the prism of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward here, supported by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the efforts of other pop stars look rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That Lux succeeds in escape overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, with sole praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not her first project to blend the past with the present, the stakes are much greater here, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. What truly elevates her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary artist during her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless want to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle and a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes in like cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of Lux is that you never quite know—or even want to predict—what it will go to next."
Almost every track finishes at a completely distinct point than how it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts off moody and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Pop
A key achievement on the album is straddling the gap of bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that it has become her highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in English swells around a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals upward. That feat gets repeated by a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of other breakup songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for high artistry in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of hidden gems that requires patience to completely explore but never seem like a chore. Where other big releases of the year felt like a meager meal, this record offers a lavish banquet where the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
