At first glance, this album may look more like a challenging scholarly examination rather than a new popular music project from an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Broken into four distinct parts and performed in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking symphonic album that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, frequently through the perspective of various saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a theme treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched upwards here, buoyed by the lush presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast list of collaborators. The pure daring alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in transcend dry academic chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, with complete praise belonging to the artist. Although it's not her first project to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, its stakes feel much higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk more precarious. What really raises her fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist during her peak, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, the listener nevertheless want to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly on the stirring Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, everything drops away, and we hear a gleeful giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top orchestral surge crashes down like cartoonish impact. The song immediately segues to the wild single driven by racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The charm with this album lies in you never exactly understand—nor wish to know—where it is going to next."
Nearly each track concludes at a totally different point from where it started. One moment explores the transient trappings of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work begins out dark and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's rough edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement of the album is straddling the line between bold innovation and broad appeal. It is little surprise that it has become her first work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals skyward. This feat gets echoed on another expansive track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a sharp edge, like a storybook character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but never seem like hard work. While other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast at which the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flit from conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
