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On the surface, Lux might appear closer to an arduous university quiz than the latest popular music record from a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Split across 4 distinct movements and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a head-spinning symphonic opus exploring female mystique, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the prism of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary artists appear quite laughable.

Transcending Academic Pretense

The fact that Lux manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to fuse historical sounds with modern styles, its scale feel far greater on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly raises her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls you into its tornado. Even when she is breaking your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay alongside her through the journey.

A Prime Moment of Exuberance

That playful spirit shines brightly during the stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, and there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds down with comedic force. The track immediately segues into the wild single driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than herself.

"The magic with Lux is that you rarely quite know—or even want to know—where you is going to next."

Almost every song finishes in a totally different point than how it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame over a delicate symphony only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style begins out moody and brooding, with menacing beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to smooth the song's rough edges.

The Balance Between Art & Pop

A key achievement on the album involves navigating the gap between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little surprise that the album has become the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals upward. This feat is echoed on a different expansive ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.

• A waltz-like number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
• Lyrically, it shares the pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological bully".
• Throughout these tracks, the singing have a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of disappointment."

An Opulent Banquet for the Soul

This album represents pop on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry amid of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of hidden treasure that requires time to fully explore but never feels like a chore. Where other big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the guests around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.