At first glance, this work might appear closer to a difficult scholarly quiz rather than the latest pop project from a musician who just had a last single featured an international pop icon. Split into four different movements and voiced in 13 languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, frequently via the perspective of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, supported by the constant presence of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the work of other pop stars look rather small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to transcend dry academic posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, with complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to blend historical sounds and the present, its stakes feel much higher here, with the balancing act more precarious. The element that really elevates this fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over several moments. Then, all the music drops away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top string surge crashes in with comedic force. The song then shifts into the frenetic single featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The charm of Lux lies in you rarely quite understand—or even want to predict—where it is going to next."
Nearly every song ends in a totally different point than how it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of celebrity with a delicate symphony before collapsing into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused work starts out moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Pop
A key achievement on Lux involves straddling the gap between bold innovation and broad accessibility. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved her first release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals upward. This feat gets repeated by a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number charms with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its inherent excess. This is a deep source of buried gems that requires patience to fully explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While other major pop albums of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux offers a lavish banquet where the characters around it, some tipsy on sacred drink, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day musical from pop's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
