For some artists, taking a risk means switching genres or reinventing their signature sound. For Rosalía, it means singing in 13 languages and mixing operatic vocals with industrial production. But, it’s hardly a risk for this artist whose second nature is innovation. Following her 2022 record, “MOTOMAMI,” which blended reggaeton with hyperpop, her new album “LUX” trades futuristic flair for timeless spirituality. The Spanish singer, songwriter and producer invites listeners to expand their definition of traditional music, crafting a truly religious experience, spiritually and thematically.
Exploring worship through song is nothing new to Rosalía. Adorned with Catholic imagery, her 2018 album, “El Mal Querer,” had an album cover depicting her crucifixion. Her newest album, “LUX” reflects on a heartbreak so shattering that it reformed her entirely through mysticism. Separated into four movements, the record spans genres from classical, flamenco and experimental pop. The hypnotic lead single, “Berghain,” demonstrates this fluidity, with a German choral hook abruptly shifting to collaborator Yves Tumor’s repeating spoken-word verse: “I’ll fuck you ‘til you love me” under pounding instrumentation. The track moves freely between German, Spanish and English lyrics, as if the only way to properly capture Rosalía’s heartbreak is through a kaleidoscope of languages, each one reflecting a different shade of pain.
Throughout the record, there’s a constant tension between Rosalía’s journey towards the light and distractions of darkness. On album opener “Sexo, Violencia y Llantas,” she’s backed by an orchestra while imagining an ascension to heaven: “Quién pudiera vivir entre los dos / Primero amar el mundo y luego amar a Dios” (How nice it’d be to live between the two / First I’ll love the world / Then I’ll love God). Immediately following, in string-fronted “Reliquia,” the artist sings about losing faith and recounting poor relationships, showing she’s still haunted by her intense past amidst self transformation. She audibly shoves aside sheet music at the song’s end, swapping classical training for an explosive electronic outro.
Even within her dramatic odyssey, there’s still signs of familiar flamenco-pop, a specialized genre Rosalía has mastered since her 2017 debut, “Los Ángeles.” “La Perla” is the most conventional song on the record, despite its ballet-esque orchestration. Here, Rosalía cheekily recalls a toxic ex: “Rompecorazones nacional / Un terrorista emocional, el mayor desastre mundial” (National heartbreaker / Emotional terrorist / World-class fuck up). Her spew of insults about the “red flag andante” (walking red flag) offers a brief, pleasant respite from the album’s all consuming religious themes.
Still, “LUX” soars at its most grandiose moments. “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti,” a four-and-a-half-minute Italian aria, is undeniably the peak of the record. Inspired by the friendship of Saint Francis of Asissi and Saint Clare of Assisi, Rosalía slowly builds up the track before reaching an emotional climax, bound to leave any listener weighted with her depiction of profound love and pain. Yet, the singer doesn’t take herself too seriously. After delivering an effortless falsetto, Rosalía softly adlibs a parody of the orchestra’s final chord, commenting: “That’s gonna be the energy.”
Although the singer switches effortlessly from Japanese, Catalan, Latin and more with ease, “LUX” can be appreciated by listeners unfamiliar with any of the 13 languages across the record. Though her lyrics are piercing and raw, her heavy vocal intonation matched with incomparable production creates a story of its own. While she sings in Spanish and English about accepting death and the act of transcendence on closing track “Magnolias,” these emotions require no translation through the humming church choir and haunting organs. The poignant composition brings a solemn end to the singer’s godly journey.
It may be premature to label “LUX” as an album that will be remembered for decades, but if there’s any artist who deserves that instant accolade, it is Rosalía. With a work of art that could be played with equal reverence at Carnegie Hall or an underground club, no one in the current music industry is operating at the same frequency.
Contact Amelia Knust at [email protected].