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Initially, Lux could seem closer to a challenging scholarly quiz than the latest pop project by a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Broken across 4 distinct sections and voiced in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced work investigating feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, often by way of the perspective of different female saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot skyward here, buoyed by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of contributors. The pure daring by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather small.

Transcending Academic Exercise

The fact that Lux manages to escape overly intellectual posturing is nothing short of a miracle, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to blend historical sounds and modern styles, the scale feel far higher on Lux, and the balancing act more pronounced. What truly elevates her fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be a core sense of fun. Similar to the iconic artist at her height, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she is breaking hearts in two, you still desire to stay alongside her through the journey.

A Prime Example of Exuberance

This playful energy comes forth brightly during a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds in like cartoonish impact. The song then shifts to the wild single driven by racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.

"The magic with this album is that the listener rarely quite know—nor wish to predict—where it will go next."

Nearly every track finishes at a totally distinct point from where it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a delicate symphony before collapsing into electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing her previous trap-infused style begins off moody and sinister, with prowling beats, until sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften its jagged edges.

The Bridge Of Experiment & Pop

Another crucial achievement of the album is straddling the line between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. This is little surprise that it has become her highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed entirely in English swells around a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spins skyward. That feat is repeated on another powerful ballad that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes like a complex tapestry.

• A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
• In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
• Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."

An Opulent Banquet for the Soul

Lux represents popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that requires time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish feast where the characters at the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flit between conversations about historical figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly inventive visionary.