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At first glance, this work might appear more like a challenging academic quiz than a new popular music project by a musician whose last hit featured an international K-pop star. Divided across four different sections and voiced in thirteen tongues, this is a head-spinning symphonic work that delves into female mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical change, frequently via the lens of different women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem quite laughable.

Transcending Academic Pretense

The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend dry academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, with complete praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time project to alchemize the past with modern styles, the stakes are far higher here, and the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls you into its tornado. When she is breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless want to be right there for the ride.

A Prime Moment of Exuberance

This exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several moments. Then, everything drops silent, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge crashes in like cartoonish force. The song immediately segues into the wild track featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.

"The magic with Lux is that the listener rarely exactly understand—nor want to predict—what you will go next."

Nearly every track ends in a completely distinct place than how it began. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing into digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls her previous rhythmic style begins off dark and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly choir enter to smooth the song's rough edges.

The Bridge Of Experiment & Pop

Another crucial achievement on Lux involves navigating the line of radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little surprise that the album has become the artist's first work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy hits. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals skyward. That feat is echoed on a different powerful track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like an intricate tapestry.

• A waltz-like song charms via its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
• In its words, it aligns the cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
• Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."

An Opulent Banquet for the Soul

This album is pop on a grand scale, a hungry reach for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep well of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but never feels like hard work. While other big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager scraps, this record is a lavish feast at which the guests around the table, some tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative visionary.