At first glance, Lux may look closer to an arduous academic examination rather than a new pop project by a musician who just had a previous hit featured a global K-pop icon. Broken into 4 distinct movements and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work investigating female mystique, religious ascent, and bodily transformation, frequently via the prism of various women saints. The end of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is launched upwards here, buoyed by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning composer within a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer daring alone renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in escape dry intellectual posturing is almost a miracle, and full praise going to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to blend the past with the present, its ambitions feel much greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. What truly elevates this fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary artist at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart apart, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several moments. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes down with comedic force. The track then segues to the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The magic of this album is that the listener rarely quite know—nor want to know—where it will go to next."
Nearly each song finishes at a totally distinct point from how it started. A track examines the transient trappings of fame over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work begins off dark and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little surprise that it has become the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals skyward. This feat is echoed by another powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes patience to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While some major releases of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux is a lavish feast at which the characters at the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most restlessly creative visionary.