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On the surface, this album might appear more like a challenging academic examination than the latest popular music album by an artist whose last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Divided into 4 separate movements and sung in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged work exploring female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, often through the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward here, buoyed by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure ambition by itself renders the work of contemporary artists appear quite laughable.

Transcending Scholarly Exercise

That Lux manages to escape dry academic posturing feels almost miraculous, and sole credit belonging to Rosalía. While it's not her first album to blend the past with the present, the ambitions feel much higher on Lux, and the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. When she is breaking hearts apart, the listener still desire to be alongside her for the journey.

A Prime Moment of Joy

This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on the stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful laugh and a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds down with comedic impact. The song then segues into the wild single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than herself.

"The charm of this album is that the listener never exactly understand—or even wish to predict—where you will go to next."

Nearly every song concludes at a totally distinct point than how it began. A track explores the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic work begins out moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's rough corners.

The Bridge Between Experiment and Accessibility

Another crucial achievement of Lux involves navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed entirely in English builds around a refrain that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks while it spirals upward. This trick gets echoed on another expansive track that grows and constricts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate weave.

• A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
• In its words, it aligns the cultural impact of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
• Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."

An Opulent Feast for the Ears

This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own built-in excess. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other major releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux is a lavish feast at which the characters around it, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.