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At first glance, this work might appear more like an arduous scholarly challenge rather than a new pop record from an artist who just had a previous single featured a global pop icon. Split into 4 separate sections and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a breathtaking classical-tinged work exploring female mystery, religious ascent, and bodily change, frequently via the lens of different women saints. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars skyward here, buoyed by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer daring by itself makes the efforts of other pop stars appear rather modest.

Rising Above Academic Exercise

The fact that Lux succeeds in avoid overly academic posturing feels nearly miraculous, and complete credit going to Rosalía. While it's not her first album to alchemize the past and the present, its scale feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises this fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the legendary artist at her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you up in its tornado. Even when she's breaking your heart apart, you still want to stay alongside her through the journey.

A Prime Example of Joy

This playful spirit comes forth clearly on a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy for several moments. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh and a comment before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in with comedic force. The track then shifts into the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.

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

Nearly every song ends in a totally different point than how it started. One moment explores the transient nature of celebrity with a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into digital cacophony. Another, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic work begins off dark and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth its rough corners.

The Balance Between Art & Accessibility

Another crucial balancing act on the album is straddling the gap between radical experimentation and broad appeal. It is no coincidence that the album has become her first work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. One track sung primarily in English swells around a refrain that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. This trick is echoed on a different powerful track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes as an intricate weave.

• A dance-infused number seduces via its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
• In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
• Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."

A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul

This album is pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of buried gems that takes time to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flit from conversations about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.