On the surface, this work may look more like a difficult scholarly challenge rather than a new popular music record from an artist whose last single featured an international pop star. Split into four different parts and performed in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying symphonic opus that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the perspective of various women saints. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot upwards on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of other artists look quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album manages to transcend overly academic posturing is nearly a miracle, with sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to fuse historical sounds with the present, the scale feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk more precarious. What really elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk during her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on a stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, all the music drops away, and there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds down with cartoonish force. The song immediately shifts to the frenetic track driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album lies in the listener rarely quite understand—nor want to know—where it will go to next."
Nearly each track finishes in a totally different place than where it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls her previous rhythmic work starts out dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to smooth its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux is straddling the gap of bold innovation and mainstream accessibility. This is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's first release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in English builds around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals upward. This feat gets repeated by another expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry amid of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of hidden treasure that takes patience to completely mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters at it, some intoxicated on holy wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
