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On the surface, Lux could seem closer to a challenging scholarly examination than the latest pop record by a musician who just had a previous single featured a global pop star. Split into four different movements and voiced in thirteen tongues, this is a breathtaking symphonic work exploring feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently through the perspective of various women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, carried by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within a vast roll call of contributors. The pure audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather small.

Transcending Scholarly Pretense

The fact that this album manages to avoid overly intellectual posturing feels nearly a miracle, and full credit going to the artist. While this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its ambitions feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. The element that really elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk during her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she's tearing hearts apart, you still want to stay alongside her through the ride.

A Signature Moment of Exuberance

That playful spirit shines clearly during a stunning Italian ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes down with comedic impact. The track then shifts to the frenetic single driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.

"The charm with this album lies in the listener rarely quite know—or even wish to predict—where it will go next."

Almost every song finishes in a completely distinct point than how it began. A track explores the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song echoing her previous trap-infused style begins off dark and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's jagged corners.

The Balance Between Experiment and Pop

A key achievement of the album is navigating the gap between bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no surprise that it has become her first release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. One track performed primarily in English swells around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly nagging melodies while it spirals upward. This feat gets echoed by another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies as an intricate weave.

• A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
• Lyrically, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
• Throughout the album, the vocals carry a sharp edge, like a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."

An Opulent Feast for the Ears

Lux is popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in excess. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes time to completely mine but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's truly endlessly inventive visionary.