At first glance, this album may look more like an arduous university quiz rather than a new popular music record by a musician whose last single featured an international K-pop star. Divided across 4 distinct movements and performed in 13 tongues, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged opus exploring feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, frequently by way of the prism of various women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward here, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure audacity by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists appear quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend dry academic posturing is nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise going to Rosalía. While it's not her first album to blend historical sounds and modern styles, its stakes are far greater on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. What really raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. When she is breaking hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth brightly on the stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, and we hear a gleeful laugh and a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in like cartoonish impact. The track then segues to the wild track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm with this album is that the listener rarely quite understand—or even wish to predict—what you will go next."
Almost every track finishes at a totally distinct place from where it began. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her previous trap-infused work starts out moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of the album is straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. One track sung entirely in English builds around a chorus that feels to gather increasingly infectious hooks while it spins upward. This feat is repeated by a different expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural impact of other heartbreak songs, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of buried treasure that requires patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While other major releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a lavish feast where the guests at it, some tipsy on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about historical figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
