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At first glance, Lux could seem closer to an arduous university quiz rather than the latest pop album from a musician who just had a last hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Split across four distinct movements and performed in thirteen languages, it is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced opus that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, often by way of the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars skyward here, carried by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long roll call of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of other pop stars look rather modest.

Rising Above Scholarly Pretense

The fact that this album manages to avoid overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and sole praise belonging to the artist. Although this is not her first project to blend the past and the present, the scale are far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk more precarious. What really raises her fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained drama, is a core sense of joy. Much like the iconic Björk at her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.

A Signature Moment of Exuberance

This playful spirit comes forth clearly on the stirring piano-led ballad about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string surge thuds in with comedic impact. The song immediately shifts into the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.

"The charm with Lux is that you rarely exactly understand—or even want to know—what it will go next."

Nearly every song concludes in a completely different point from where it started. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity over a featherlight symphony before collapsing in digital cacophony. Another, a song echoing her previous rhythmic style starts out dark and sinister, with prowling vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its rough corners.

The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility

Another crucial achievement of the album involves navigating the line between radical innovation and broad appeal. It is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's first work to crack the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that seems to collect increasingly nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. This trick is repeated on a different powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate tapestry.

• A waltz-like number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
• Lyrically, it shares with cultural impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
• Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."

A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul

Lux represents pop on a grand level, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden gems that takes patience to completely mine but doesn't seem like a chore. While other major releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record offers a lavish feast at which the guests around the table, some tipsy on sacred drink, flutter between conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative practitioner.