At first glance, this album could seem more like a difficult university quiz rather than a new popular music album by a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Split across 4 distinct sections and sung in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking symphonic work investigating feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the lens of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—soars heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a long roll call of collaborators. The pure ambition alone renders the work of contemporary pop stars seem quite laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to avoid dry academic posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, and complete credit belonging to the artist. While this is not her first project to alchemize the past with modern styles, the stakes are far greater here, with the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that really raises this fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary artist at her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts apart, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This playful energy comes forth brightly during a stirring Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo crashes down like cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues into the wild track featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The charm with this album is that you rarely quite understand—or even want to predict—where you will go next."
Almost every song concludes at a totally different point from where it started. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating into digital chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style begins off moody and sinister, with menacing beats, until sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Of Art & Pop
A key balancing act on the album is straddling the gap of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging hooks as it spins upward. This feat is echoed on a different powerful track that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "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 grand scale, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried treasure that requires time to completely mine but never seem like hard work. While some major releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most restlessly inventive visionary.
