Lux

While Lux is certainly accessible, it’s also a challenging listen. The fact that it sounds like nothing else may put some people off straight away. Yet for those willing to fully immerse themselves in its overwhelming sweep, the reward is likely to be a dizzying, unmatchable experience which cements Rosalía as one of the most visionary artists working today.

Music purists can entertain themselves all they like by debating whether this is “true” classical music. The rest of us can revel in what is possibly the best album of the year.

It is an astonishing record – one that continuously stops you dead in your tracks, encourages curiosity, and builds a new world for you to dive into, while connecting to the sounds of all of Rosalía’s previous releases.

In truth, you don’t need to know what’s going on to find Lux a truly compelling, involving experience. These are uniformly beautiful songs, filled with striking moments.

A transformative piece of expression that’s as intense and maximalist as life itself.

It is as formidable a journey to make as it is to absorb, and that challenge is the very heart of the project. Far from contemporary pop, each note and lyric demands your full attention; the reward is transcendence, even as the material nudges you to annotate like a philosophy student with a highlighter in hand.

LUX is an explosive, experimental album that demands a lot from its listeners, but not without offering resplendent gifts of beauty, drama, and grace.

In “De Madrugá,” the climax of the more personal first half, the character bolts awake in a cold sweat and the song only goes harder from there. .... The more philosophical second half begins with Movement III and “Dios Es un Stalker,” an alluring mix of the sacred and profane.

Fearless, maximalist, and laden with emotion, Lux is a work worthy of both the Heavens and the Earth.

The fact that these flashes of “modernity” are rare in Lux makes them even more powerful; however, make no mistake: this is not an album of fleeting gestures or random insertions of new musical elements.

‘Lux’ is endearingly insistent on taking you away from the lethargy of modern life and transporting you to a surround sound, meta-textual dimension. It’s hard-won, but oh so worth it.

It’s not a dopamine machine like MOTOMAMI, but it rewards listeners who ache for more from pop artists: more feeling, more risk.

She’s having fun. Classical music and opera clearly aren’t her home. But on “Lux,” they’re her playground.

Lux is ambitious, challenging, and provocative. But it rewards patience—and repeat listens—as you luxuriate in the breadth of Rosalía’s transcendent world.