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On the surface, this album might appear closer to a challenging scholarly challenge than a new pop record from a musician who just had a last single featured a global K-pop icon. Split into four different sections and voiced in thirteen tongues, this is a dizzying symphonic work investigating feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, often by way of the lens of various women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars look quite small.

Transcending Scholarly Exercise

That Lux succeeds in escape overly academic chin-stroking feels almost miraculous, with full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, the stakes are much higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is a core sense of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk during her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.

A Signature Moment of Joy

That playful spirit shines brightly on the stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds down with comedic force. The track then shifts to the wild single featuring racing strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.

"The magic with this album lies in the listener rarely quite understand—nor wish to know—what you is going next."

Almost each song finishes in a totally different place from how it began. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity with a delicate orchestration only to collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous rhythmic style begins out dark and brooding, with menacing vocals, until fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to smooth the song's rough edges.

The Balance Of Art and Pop

Another crucial balancing act of Lux is navigating the line between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is no surprise that it has become her highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in English builds around a chorus that seems to gather increasingly nagging melodies while it spins skyward. This feat is echoed on another expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex weave.

• A waltz-like song charms with its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic hook.
• In its words, it shares the pop culture impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
• Across these tracks, the singing have a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."

A Maximalist Feast for the Ears

This album is popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but never feels like a chore. While other major releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on holy drink, flit between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.