Initially, this album might appear closer to an arduous university challenge rather than the latest pop record by an artist who just had a last hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided across four different movements and voiced in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and bodily change, frequently by way of the lens of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, supported by the lush sound of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among a long list of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself renders the work of other pop stars appear quite small.
Transcending Academic Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly intellectual posturing feels nearly a miracle, and complete praise going to the artist. While this is not the first time album to fuse the past and modern styles, the stakes feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What truly elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to stay right there for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines brightly on the stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Then, everything falls away, and we hear a gleeful giggle and a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes down with comedic force. The track then shifts into the frenetic track featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The charm with Lux is that the listener never exactly understand—or even wish to predict—what it is going to next."
Nearly every song finishes in a completely distinct place from how it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused style starts out dark and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
A key balancing act on Lux involves navigating the line between bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's first work to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in English swells around a refrain that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spins upward. This trick is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces via its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with cultural honesty of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of hidden treasure that takes time to completely explore but never seem like a chore. Where other major releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter between conversations about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most restlessly inventive visionary.
