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Initially, this work might appear closer to a difficult academic challenge rather than a new pop project from an artist whose previous hit featured an international K-pop icon. Divided across 4 separate movements and voiced in 13 tongues, it is a head-spinning symphonic album exploring female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily change, frequently via the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, supported by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. The pure audacity alone makes the work of contemporary pop stars appear quite modest.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

The fact that Lux manages to escape overly academic posturing feels almost a miracle, and full credit going to the artist. Although it's not her first album to blend historical sounds with modern styles, the ambitions are far higher here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What really raises this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. When she is breaking hearts in two, you still desire to be alongside her through the ride.

A Prime Example of Joy

This playful spirit comes forth brightly during a stirring piano-led song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, everything falls silent, and there's a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes down with comedic impact. The song then shifts into the frenetic single featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.

"The magic with Lux is that the listener never quite understand—or even want to know—where you is going next."

Almost every song ends at a completely different point than where it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused style starts out moody and sinister, with prowling vocals, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged edges.

The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility

A key balancing act of the album is straddling the line between radical innovation and broad appeal. It is little surprise that the album has become the artist's first release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging hooks as it spins skyward. This feat gets repeated on another expansive ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes like a complex tapestry.

• A dance-infused number charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
• In its words, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
• Throughout the album, the singing have a painted-on edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."

An Opulent Feast for the Ears

Lux is pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. 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 offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.