At first glance, Lux could seem closer to a challenging university challenge than a new popular music project by a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided into four distinct sections and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged work investigating feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often via the prism of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars upwards here, buoyed by the constant sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among a long list of collaborators. Its sheer daring alone renders the efforts of other artists look quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, with sole praise belonging to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to fuse historical sounds with the present, its scale are much higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is a core spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stunning piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment prior to a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish force. The track immediately shifts to the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in you rarely quite know—or even want to know—where it will go to next."
Almost every track concludes at a completely different point than where it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song echoing her previous rhythmic work begins out dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its jagged edges.
The Bridge Of Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on the album is straddling the line of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in the English language builds on a refrain that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That feat gets echoed by another powerful track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of hidden gems that requires patience to completely mine but never feels like hard work. Where other major releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at it, some intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's most restlessly creative practitioner.
