On the surface, this album could seem more like an arduous university examination rather than the latest popular music album by an artist whose last hit featured a global pop star. Divided into 4 distinct movements and voiced in 13 languages, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged work investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and bodily change, frequently by way of the lens of various female saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is launched upwards on this record, carried by the constant sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone renders the work of other artists seem quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That Lux succeeds in avoid dry academic chin-stroking feels nearly a miracle, and sole praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to blend historical sounds with the present, its scale are much greater on Lux, and the balancing act far more precarious. What really raises this fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This playful energy shines clearly during a stirring Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge crashes in like comedic force. The song then segues into the wild single driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The magic of this album lies in the listener never exactly know—nor want to know—where it is going to next."
Nearly every track ends in a completely distinct point from where it started. One moment examines the transient nature of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her earlier trap-infused style begins off moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on the album is straddling the line of radical experimentation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to collect more and more nagging melodies while it spins upward. That feat gets repeated on another powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its inherent excess. It is a deep well of buried treasure that takes patience to fully mine but never feels like a chore. Where some major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish banquet at which the guests around it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
