On the surface, Lux may look more like an arduous scholarly examination rather than the latest popular music record from a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Split into four separate movements and sung in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying classical-tinged work that delves into feminine mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, often by way of the perspective of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, carried by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in avoid overly intellectual posturing feels almost miraculous, with full credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not her first project to fuse the past and the present, the ambitions are far greater here, with the balancing act more dramatic. What really elevates her fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk during her height, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she is breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless want to be alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly during a stunning Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in with comedic impact. The track immediately shifts into the wild single driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux is that the listener rarely quite understand—nor want to predict—what you is going to next."
Almost every track ends in a totally distinct point than how it began. One moment explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating in electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing her previous trap-infused style begins off dark and sinister, with menacing beats, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Of Experiment and Pop
A key balancing act of Lux involves straddling the line between radical innovation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that it has achieved the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language swells around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly nagging hooks while it spins upward. That trick is repeated on a different expansive ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of hidden gems that takes patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish banquet where the characters around it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
