At first glance, this album might appear more like a challenging university examination rather than a new popular music project from an artist who just had a previous hit featured an international K-pop icon. Divided across 4 different movements and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring female mystery, religious transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently through the prism of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a theme treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. The pure daring by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars look quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to escape overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, with full credit going to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its scale feel far higher here, and the balancing act more dramatic. What truly elevates her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Much like the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly on the stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several moments. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh followed by a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge thuds down like cartoonish force. The track then segues to the wild single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in the listener rarely quite know—nor wish to predict—where it will go next."
Almost every song finishes in a totally different point from where it started. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused work starts out moody and sinister, with prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Art and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of the album is navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. It is little coincidence that it has become her highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. A song sung entirely in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious hooks while it spirals upward. That feat is repeated on a different expansive ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural impact of other heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its inherent excess. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires patience to completely explore but never seem like hard work. Where other major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters at it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly creative visionary.
