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At first glance, this work may look more like an arduous scholarly quiz rather than a new popular music record from a musician who just had a last single featured a global pop icon. Split into four different sections and sung in 13 tongues, it is a breathtaking symphonic opus that delves into feminine mystique, religious ascent, and bodily change, often by way of the lens of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, buoyed by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within a vast roll call of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary artists look rather small.

Rising Above Scholarly Exercise

The fact that Lux succeeds in escape dry intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of a miracle, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, its ambitions feel much higher here, and the balancing act more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, is an essential sense of joy. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you up in its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, you still desire to be right there through the journey.

A Signature Moment of Exuberance

This exuberant energy shines brightly on a stunning Italian song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Suddenly, everything drops away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds in with cartoonish impact. The song immediately segues to the frenetic single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist Björk.

"The magic of this album is that the listener never quite understand—or even wish to know—what it will go next."

Almost each song concludes at a completely distinct point than how it began. One moment explores the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous rhythmic style starts off moody and sinister, with prowling beats, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.

The Bridge Of Experiment and Pop

A key balancing act on Lux is navigating the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become her highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed primarily in the English language builds on a chorus that feels to gather increasingly nagging hooks while it spins skyward. This feat gets echoed by another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate weave.

• A dance-infused song charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
• Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
• Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."

A Maximalist Feast for the Ears

This album represents pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. It is an abundant source of buried gems that requires patience to completely mine but never seem like hard work. Where other big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a lavish feast at which the guests at the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flit between conversations about historical figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly inventive practitioner.