At first glance, Lux may look more like a challenging academic challenge than the latest pop project from an artist whose last single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Broken into four distinct sections and sung in 13 languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged opus investigating feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the prism of various female saints. The end of a relationship—a theme treated with grounded openness elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, buoyed by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the efforts of contemporary artists look rather laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to escape overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, with complete praise going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its scale are far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. The element that really raises this fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist during her peak, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. When she is breaking your heart apart, you still want to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That exuberant energy shines brightly on a stunning Italian song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four moments. Then, all the music drops away, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically exaggerated string crescendo crashes in like comedic force. The song then shifts into the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The charm with Lux lies in the listener never exactly know—nor wish to predict—where you is going to next."
Almost each song finishes in a completely distinct point from where it started. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony before collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing her earlier trap-infused work starts out moody and sinister, with prowling beats, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Pop
A key achievement on the album is straddling the line between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. This is no coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song sung primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spins upward. That trick is echoed by another expansive ballad that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism for sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes patience to fully explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other major pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's most restlessly inventive visionary.
