Initially, Lux could seem closer to an arduous scholarly challenge than the latest popular music album from an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Broken across 4 distinct sections and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a breathtaking symphonic album exploring feminine mystique, religious ascent, and bodily transformation, often via the perspective of various female saints. The end of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars skyward here, carried by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a long list of contributors. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of other artists appear rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to transcend dry academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with sole credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to fuse the past and the present, its stakes feel much greater here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises this fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This playful energy comes forth clearly on the stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes in like comedic impact. The track immediately shifts into the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic with Lux is that the listener rarely exactly know—or even want to predict—where it will go to next."
Almost each song finishes at a totally different place from how it began. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous trap-infused style begins off moody and brooding, with prowling beats, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key balancing act of Lux involves navigating the line between bold innovation and broad appeal. It is little surprise that it has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track sung entirely in English swells around a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. This feat gets echoed on another powerful ballad that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires patience to completely mine but never feels like a chore. While other major pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
