At first glance, Lux may look more like a challenging university challenge than a new pop project from a musician whose previous single featured a global pop star. Split across four different parts and sung in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged opus investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and physical change, often by way of the lens of various women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a long list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the work of contemporary pop stars look rather modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual posturing is almost a miracle, with sole credit belonging to the artist. While this is not the first time project to blend historical sounds and the present, its scale feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly raises her fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly on the stunning piano-led song about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a comically exaggerated string crescendo crashes in with cartoonish force. The song immediately segues into the wild track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with Lux lies in the listener rarely exactly know—nor want to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly each song finishes at a completely different point from how it started. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her earlier rhythmic work begins out moody and brooding, featuring prowling beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is straddling the line of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that the album has achieved her first work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in English builds around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spins upward. That trick gets repeated on another powerful track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its own built-in excess. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires time to completely explore but never feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux is a lavish feast where the guests at it, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flit from discussions about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
