Initially, this album may look more like a difficult university quiz rather than a new popular music album by a musician who just had a previous single featured an international K-pop star. Split across four distinct parts and voiced in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying symphonic album investigating female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, often via the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars skyward here, carried by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of contributors. The pure ambition alone makes the work of other artists appear rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album manages to avoid overly academic chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, and complete praise belonging to the artist. While it's not the first time album to fuse historical sounds with the present, its stakes feel far higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. What really elevates her fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, is a core spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart apart, you still want to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This playful energy comes forth brightly on a stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several moments. Suddenly, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a comment before a comically exaggerated orchestral surge thuds in like comedic impact. The song then segues into the wild track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The charm of this album is that the listener never exactly know—nor want to predict—what you is going next."
Almost each track finishes at a completely distinct point than where it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of fame with a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous rhythmic work begins off moody and sinister, with prowling beats, until sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
A key achievement on the album involves navigating the line of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has become her highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. One track performed entirely in English swells on a refrain that seems to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins skyward. This trick is echoed on a different powerful track that expands and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art amid of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but doesn't seem like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast at which the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flutter from discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
