🔗 Share this article

At first glance, Lux might appear closer to an arduous scholarly quiz rather than the latest pop album by a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided across 4 distinct movements and sung in thirteen languages, this is a head-spinning classical-tinged album that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently through the prism of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, supported by the lush sound of a major orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast roll call of contributors. The pure audacity alone renders the work of other pop stars look rather small.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly academic posturing is nearly miraculous, with complete credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not her first project to blend historical sounds and modern styles, the ambitions are much higher here, and the balancing act far more dramatic. What truly elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Similar to the legendary artist during her height, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to stay alongside her through the ride.

A Prime Moment of Joy

That exuberant energy comes forth clearly on a stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several moments. Suddenly, everything falls away, and there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds in with comedic force. The song then shifts to the wild track featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.

"The charm of Lux lies in the listener never quite know—or even wish to know—what it will go next."

Nearly every song concludes at a completely distinct place from where it began. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style begins out moody and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth the song's rough edges.

The Balance Between Experiment and Pop

Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is no coincidence that it has become the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in English builds around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies as it spirals skyward. That feat is repeated by another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as a complex tapestry.

• A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
• Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting an ex- partner labeled an "psychological bully".
• Throughout these tracks, the singing have a painted-on edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."

A Maximalist Feast for the Soul

Lux represents pop on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried gems that requires time to completely explore but never seem like hard work. While other major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager scraps, this record is a lavish feast where the characters around the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's truly restlessly creative visionary.