At first glance, Lux may look more like a difficult scholarly challenge than the latest popular music project from an artist whose previous hit featured a global K-pop star. Divided across 4 separate parts and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged opus investigating female mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, frequently via the prism of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot upwards here, supported by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of contemporary artists appear quite modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to escape overly academic posturing is almost a miracle, with sole credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not the first time album to blend the past and modern styles, the stakes are much greater here, and the balancing act more precarious. What truly elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart apart, you still want to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That exuberant spirit comes forth brightly during the stirring piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds down with comedic force. The track then shifts into the wild single driven by racing strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic of this album is that you never quite understand—nor want to know—what it is going next."
Nearly every track concludes at a completely different point from where it started. A track explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a delicate symphony only to collapsing in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her first work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. A song sung primarily in English swells around a chorus that feels to gather increasingly nagging hooks as it spins skyward. That trick is repeated by a different expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for high artistry amid of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried treasure that requires time to fully explore but never feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters at the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter from conversations about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative visionary.
