At first glance, Lux might appear closer to a challenging university examination rather than a new pop record by an artist whose last hit featured a global pop star. Broken across 4 separate parts and sung in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking symphonic opus exploring feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently via the perspective of different female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward here, carried by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long list of contributors. The pure audacity by itself renders the work of contemporary artists seem rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That Lux manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing feels nearly miraculous, with full credit going to the artist. While it's not her first project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, the ambitions feel much higher here, and the balancing act more dramatic. What really elevates this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist during her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. When she is tearing your heart in two, the listener nevertheless desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That playful energy shines clearly during a stirring piano-led ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a comically exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down like cartoonish force. The song then shifts to the wild track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album is that you rarely exactly understand—or even want to predict—where you will go to next."
Nearly every song ends in a totally distinct place from how it started. One moment explores the transient nature of fame over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous rhythmic work starts out moody and sinister, with menacing beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
A key balancing act of Lux involves straddling the gap of bold innovation and broad appeal. It is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's first work to break into the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in the English language builds around a chorus that feels to gather more and more nagging hooks while it spins upward. That feat is echoed on a different powerful ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing have a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is pop on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its inherent excess. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that requires time to fully explore but never feels like hard work. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record is a lavish feast at which the guests around the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about useless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
