🔗 Share this article

Initially, Lux may look closer to an arduous university quiz rather than a new pop project by an artist who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Split into four distinct movements and sung in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work investigating feminine mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently via the perspective of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, buoyed by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer among a vast roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars look rather modest.

Transcending Academic Pretense

That Lux succeeds in transcend overly academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, its stakes feel much higher here, with the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Much like the iconic artist during her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. When she's breaking hearts apart, the listener still desire to be right there through the journey.

A Signature Example of Exuberance

This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly during the stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for several moments. Then, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down like cartoonish force. The song immediately segues into the wild track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.

"The charm with Lux is that the listener rarely exactly know—or even want to predict—where it is going to next."

Nearly each song ends in a completely distinct place from how it began. One moment explores the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work begins out moody and brooding, with menacing beats, before fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften its jagged corners.

The Balance Between Art and Accessibility

Another crucial achievement on Lux involves navigating the line between radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her first work to crack the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that seems to gather increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals skyward. This trick gets repeated by another expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving layered melodies like an intricate tapestry.

• A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
• In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting an ex- lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
• Across the album, the singing have a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."

An Opulent Banquet for the Ears

Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires patience to completely mine but never seem like hard work. While some big releases of the year felt like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous feast where the guests around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flit from discussions about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.