Rosalía – ‘Lux’ Review: An Arresting Album of Astonishing Scope and Ambition
Rosalía’s fourth album, Lux, ventures into new territory by blending operatics, orchestral movements, and buzzing electronics. The Spanish artist continues to innovate with each release.
Since her 2017 debut album Los Ángeles, where she reinvented centuries-old flamenco cantes for the modern era, Rosalía has pushed musical boundaries. Her 2018 follow-up, El Mal Querer, was a modern reinterpretation of Andalusian music, combining pop and hip-hop influences. In 2022, Motomami expanded her sound with reggaeton and experimental electronic music, drawing inspiration from Latin America.
At 33, Rosalía’s latest work, Lux, may be her boldest yet. The album creates vast sonic worlds and astral planes, connecting earthly experiences with spiritual realms. Remarkably, Rosalía sings in 13 languages, including [translate: Японский], [translate: Арабский], Portuguese, Ukrainian, Latin, and Sicilian.
She dedicated a year to crafting the lyrics, initially relying on instinctive writing and Google Translate before collaborating with professional translators to ensure each line was both natural and musically fitting. The album’s concept was inspired by Rosalía’s immersion in hagiographies, drawing from stories of female saints and saint-like figures in various religions and cultures worldwide.
"Lux contains not just whole worlds, but astral planes, bridging the gap between Earth and whatever you believe heaven to be."
Author's summary: Rosalía’s Lux is a daring and multicultural masterpiece that showcases her evolving artistry through diverse languages and profound spiritual themes.
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