At first glance, this work might appear more like a difficult scholarly quiz than the latest popular music record from an artist whose last hit featured a global K-pop star. Split across 4 distinct movements and performed in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic opus investigating female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often through the perspective of various female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone makes the work of other artists look quite small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and full praise going to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to fuse historical sounds and the present, the stakes are far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that really raises this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
That playful energy shines clearly during the stirring piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated string crescendo crashes down like comedic force. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm of Lux is that you rarely exactly understand—nor wish to predict—where you is going to next."
Nearly each track concludes at a totally distinct place than how it began. One moment explores the transient trappings of fame with a delicate orchestration before collapsing into electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic style begins out moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to soften its jagged corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux involves navigating the line of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's first release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of truly catchy hits. A song sung entirely in the English language builds around a chorus that seems to gather increasingly nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. This feat gets echoed on another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, weaving layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of hidden treasure that requires patience to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish feast where the characters at it, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter from discussions about historical saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
