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At first glance, this album may look more like a difficult scholarly quiz rather than a new pop project from a musician whose last hit featured a global K-pop star. Broken into 4 separate movements and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning symphonic album investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and bodily change, frequently by way of the lens of various female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward here, buoyed by the constant sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a long roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the efforts of contemporary artists appear rather modest.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

The fact that this album succeeds in avoid dry academic posturing is nothing short of a miracle, with sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to fuse the past and modern styles, the stakes feel far higher on Lux, and the balancing act far more dramatic. What really elevates this fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist during her height, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener still want to be right there for the ride.

A Signature Example of Exuberance

That playful spirit shines clearly during a stunning piano-led song about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for more than four moments. Then, all the music falls away, and there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge crashes down like cartoonish impact. The song immediately shifts into the wild track driven by racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.

"The magic of Lux is that you never quite know—nor want to know—what you will go to next."

Almost each song finishes in a completely different point than where it started. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused style starts off dark and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to soften the song's rough corners.

The Bridge Of Art & Accessibility

A key achievement on the album involves straddling the gap of bold experimentation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that it has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language builds around a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spins skyward. This trick gets echoed by another expansive track that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex tapestry.

• A waltz-like number charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
• Lyrically, it shares the cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "emotional bully".
• Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."

An Opulent Feast for the Ears

Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its inherent excess. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes patience to completely explore but never seem like a chore. Where other major releases of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux offers a lavish banquet at which the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flit between discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly restlessly creative practitioner.