At first glance, Lux might appear closer to an arduous academic challenge rather than a new popular music album by a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Split across 4 distinct parts and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged opus exploring feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, often via the perspective of different saintly figures. The end of a romance—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward here, buoyed by the lush sound of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of contemporary artists appear rather laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux succeeds in transcend dry academic posturing feels almost miraculous, with sole credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to fuse the past and the present, its ambitions feel much higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. What truly raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls you up in its tornado. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless want to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Then, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in like cartoonish force. The song then segues to the wild single driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of Lux lies in the listener rarely exactly understand—nor wish to predict—what you is going next."
Nearly each track ends in a completely distinct place than where it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame with a featherlight symphony before collapsing into electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style begins out moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key balancing act on Lux involves navigating the line of bold innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that the album has become her first release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track sung entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to collect more and more nagging melodies as it spirals upward. This feat gets repeated by a different expansive track that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes time to fully mine but never feels like a chore. Where other major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly inventive visionary.
