Initially, this album could seem closer to a challenging academic challenge than the latest popular music record by an artist who just had a last hit featured a global pop star. Divided across 4 separate movements and sung in 13 languages, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged work that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, frequently through the lens of various women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among an extensive list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone renders the work of contemporary artists look rather modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend overly academic chin-stroking is almost a miracle, with sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first project to blend the past with modern styles, its scale feel far higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the iconic artist at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless want to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth clearly on the stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge thuds down with comedic force. The track then segues to the wild single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in you never exactly know—nor wish to know—what it is going to next."
Almost each track finishes in a totally distinct place than where it began. A track examines the fleeting nature of celebrity over a delicate symphony only to disintegrating into digital chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work starts off dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften the song's jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on the album is straddling the gap between radical innovation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has become the artist's first release to break into the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spins upward. This trick gets echoed on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden gems that takes patience to completely explore but never feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters at the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about useless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
