At first glance, Lux may look closer to an arduous scholarly examination rather than the latest popular music record from an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided into four different movements and sung in thirteen tongues, it is a dizzying classical-tinged album investigating female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, often by way of the perspective of various women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning composer within a vast roll call of contributors. The pure daring alone makes the efforts of other artists seem quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly intellectual posturing is nothing short of miraculous, and complete credit going to the artist. Although this is not her first album to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, the ambitions are much greater on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. What truly elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary artist at her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its tornado. When she's tearing hearts apart, you still desire to stay right there for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stirring Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes in with cartoonish force. The song then shifts to the frenetic single featuring racing strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The charm with this album is that the listener never quite understand—nor want to know—where you is going next."
Nearly every track concludes in a completely different place from how it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight symphony before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts off moody and brooding, with prowling vocals, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly choir arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux is navigating the line between radical innovation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has achieved the artist's first release to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals skyward. That feat gets echoed by another expansive ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares with cultural impact of other breakup songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that requires time to completely explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast where the characters at the table, some tipsy on sacred wine, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
