On Friday the 7th November, Catalan musician Rosalía released her most anticipated and controversial album to date. After the world experienced a brief and tantalising foretaste with her single Berghain, which featured Björk and Yves Tumor, everyone was eager to experience her fourth album when it dropped in full.
The Latin title ‘Lux’ perfectly embodies the concept and overall aesthetic of divine femininity, as well as the multilingual aspects that run throughout the work. With complex and meaningful lyrics written in 13 languages, and split into four movements, the record is a breath of fresh air for the pop scene.
In terms of genre, the album has proved difficult for critics to define. Some argue that Rosalía’s mainstream position as a cultural and fashion icon unavoidably renders her work ‘pop music’ regardless of the album’s individual identity. Others have labelled it classical, even operatic, with hints of flamenco, which was a key part of her earlier album, El Mal Querer.
In an article for Elle, Samuel Maude writes of influence from Vivaldi, as well as various other Baroque composers. Likewise, Rosalía’s decision to work with the London Symphony Orchestra has dramatically elevated the style of the album. When paired with the cinematography for Berghain’s music video, the effect of this collaboration is particularly striking. Director Nicolás Ménendez collapses the boundaries between everyday domestic life and the high art sophistication of an orchestra, which alongside Rosalía’s angelic voice makes for an exquisite theatrical experience.
It is interesting to observe how the different languages play a role in the feel of each song, and how Rosalía adapts the melody and arrangement to complement or contrast each one. For instance, the song ‘Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti’ showcases operatic Italian music at a slow tempo, which creates a dramatic and emotional listening experience. Whereas in ‘Porcelana,’ the Latin lyric is sung over an upbeat and modern sound. This creates a different kind of complexity through the contrasting sophistication and antiquity of the Latin language against the modern, high-tempo beat.
There are also lyrics in Sicilian, Ukrainian, Arabic and English. This adds a unique dimension to the listening experience. In essence, to have a multilingual album is to accept the fact that listeners will not understand it at face value: they must engage closely.
In a world that seeks instant dopamine hits, the depth and complexity of Lux is more than welcome.
From beginning to end, the music maps out a divine journey for its listeners. Through various interlocking fragments, which broach heavy topics of religion, memory and feminist theory, Rosalía pieces together a powerful and thought-provoking body of work.
As anticipated, Lux is also full to the brim of contributions from compositional and lyrical icons. In ‘La Rumba del Perdón,’ Estrella Morante’s feature complements the song’s flamenco style perfectly. Morante is well-known across Spain, especially for her single ‘Volver,’ which features in the cult classic Almodóvar film of the same name. On a side note, Rosalía herself had a cameo in the Almodóvar film Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory) just a few years ago. She is also set to appear in the third season of Euphoria.
Some of the album’s other featured artists appeared more unexpectedly but have nonetheless created exciting and diverse listening experiences. Among them are British singers Sophie May and Matt Maltese, who are credited for the writing of her sombre closing song, ‘Magnolias.’ Rosalía even sampled a few words from American songwriter and poet Patti Smith towards the end of her song ‘La Yugular.’
Throughout the four movements, the lyricism is awash with mysticism and metaphor. Notably, Rosalía includes multiple allusions to the number three, the Holy number across religious texts. This is seen in ‘La Rumba del Perdón,’ “Para hacerlo como se debe, tres cosas necesitarás.” (To do it right, you will need three things). In the same song, the phrase ‘Yo sé que tú eres pa’ mi’ (I know that you are for me) is repeated three times.
As the album draws to an end, Rosalía closes the cyclical journey by returning from Heaven to Earth: ‘Hoy me convierto en polvo / Pa’ volver con ellas.” (Today I turn to dust / to return to them). Many have been quick to point out the album’s stark difference to her third album Motomami. Perhaps Motomami is a more earthly, hip-hop exploration of pop, whilst Lux emerges as a contemplative, introspective and divine branch of Rosalía’s versatile musical talent.
Lux has gained a tremendous deal of mainstream success and provoked a lot of discussion within just weeks of its release. Thanks to her latest masterpiece, Rosalía is positioning herself as a pioneering figure of this decade’s eclectic music scene.
