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Initially, this album may look more like a difficult academic examination than the latest pop record from a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Divided across four separate movements and voiced in thirteen languages, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged work investigating female mystery, religious transcendence, and physical transformation, often through the prism of various female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched upwards here, carried by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast roll call of contributors. The pure ambition by itself renders the efforts of other pop stars appear quite modest.

Transcending Academic Pretense

The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, with sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to blend the past and the present, its stakes feel far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What truly raises her fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Similar to the legendary artist at her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, the listener nevertheless desire to stay alongside her through the journey.

A Signature Example of Joy

That exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stunning piano-led song about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds in like comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.

"The magic of Lux is that you never exactly know—or even wish to know—where you is going to next."

Nearly each song finishes in a completely distinct point than how it began. One moment explores the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her earlier rhythmic work begins off dark and sinister, with prowling beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its rough corners.

The Bridge Between Experiment and Accessibility

Another crucial achievement on the album involves straddling the gap of bold innovation and broad appeal. It is no coincidence that the album has become the artist's first work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track sung entirely in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks as it spins upward. That feat is echoed on a different expansive ballad that grows and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate tapestry.

• A dance-infused song charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
• Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
• Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."

An Opulent Banquet for the Soul

Lux represents pop on a grand level, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in excess. This is a deep well of buried gems that takes time to fully explore but doesn't seem like a chore. While other major releases of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter between discussions about historical figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.