On the surface, this work may look closer to an arduous scholarly challenge than the latest pop record by a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided into four different parts and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged work investigating female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often by way of the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a long list of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars look quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That this album manages to transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with full credit going to the artist. While this is not her first project to fuse historical sounds with modern styles, the scale are far higher here, and the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she's breaking your heart in two, you nevertheless want to be alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines clearly during the stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes down like cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in you rarely exactly understand—nor want to know—what you is going next."
Nearly each track concludes in a completely distinct place from where it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of celebrity over a featherlight symphony before disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous rhythmic style starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly choir enter to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves straddling the line of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. A song performed primarily in English builds on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies as it spirals skyward. That feat is repeated on a different powerful track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album represents pop on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its built-in excess. This is a deep well of buried gems that requires time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some major releases of the year felt like a meager meal, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless partners. It is a modern-day musical from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
