[REVIEW] Rosalía Proves Herself to be in a League of Her Own with New Album ‘LUX’

Rosalía has never been one to do things by the book, but ‘LUX’ completely reinvents the wheel. The album accomplishes what many are saying only she could do, creating an album that transcends genre, language and time.

★★★★★

Written in thirteen different languages - including Spanish, Japanese, Italian and Ukrainian – Rosalía explains that these were all deliberate choices. The album took three years for her to make, involving a complicated process of translation and re-writes. The result: a unique and truly avant-garde piece of work that captures a global perspective to making music, and that still blends with her true flamenco-infused style.

Comprised of four different ‘Movements’, the work takes us through explorations of faith, the soul, love, desire, spirituality, self-discovery, memory, the divine and death. Having this thematic framework in mind does inform the listening experience of the album, and it’s clear to see when these transitions happen.

Religion and spirituality really do seem to be the driving forces of the album, a theme often tied to Rosalía’s work. The artist took inspiration from the stories of various different female Saints - Joan of Arc, Saint Olga of Kyiv and Vimala, to name a few - and where they originate from corresponds with Rosalía’s choice of language. In a recent interview with Apple, she claimed that she felt the need to lock herself away to really learn the stories of the Saints she was writing about, using these to inspire the lyrics on the album.

Many have questioned the extent to which she also draws on her own experiences. She explains - “I think the best fiction is this fiction that has this blurry line between what’s personal and what’s universal; what’s detailed and what’s abstract…there has to be some sort of truth for me in it but at the same time I think it’s much more about the other.” Creating an album that draws so heavily on archaic stories and fables of sainthood, while still managing to relate it to the modern experience shows her immense talent as a writer.

The first few songs on the album explore the conflict between religion and the self. ‘Reliquia’ uses the religious symbol of the relic to represent how Rosalía’s own identity has been influenced and affected by different places. The song feels deeply personal but also employs clever religious imagery to get this point across. “Pero mi corazón nunca ha sido mío / yo siempre lo doy / coge un trozo de mi…Soy tu reliquia” (My heart has never belonged to me / I always give it away / Take a piece of me…I’ll be your relic”.        

Each detail of the album - from its lyrics, production, recording and vocal techniques - come across as meticulously crafted and deliberate. In ‘Mi Cristo Piange Diamante’, for example, each note is calculated and controlled and gives the effect she intended. From strong operatic phrasings to close whispers that allow her voice to crack and falter, her range and control firmly solidifies her status as one of the most talented singers in modern music. It is also these carefully planted moments that gives the song perhaps some of its most memorable sections.

After being jokingly criticised by her sister after motomami for having “musical tourette’s”, she promised on this album that she was going to “finish the thought” and be extremely intentional in her creative process. This is clearly seen in her choice to avoid using loops, relying on live recording and acoustic instruments, and working with the London Symphony Orchestra to create her modern twist on a classical sound.  When asked about the album’s progression from ‘MOTOMAMI’, Rosalía explained that she knew she had a deeper, more meaningful album left in her to make.

The artist also plays around a lot with style and genre; ‘De Madrugá’ incorporates a lot of traditional flamenco elements that the singer is known for. However, the song later incorporates more syncopated rhythms, transforming the more classical sounding violin motif seen at the beginning of the piece into something more modern that allows the piece to rhythmically push forward.

There is also a notable shift in tone and writing style in tracks like ‘Perla’ and ‘Sauvingnon Blanc’, which are less cerebral and more relatable. In a recent interview with The Times, Rosalía posed an interesting question: why can’t her less relatable tracks still be considered pop music? The creativity and originality on the album clearly shows that she is less concerned with what’s popular and more with making the music that she wants to make.

The finale - ‘Magnolias’ - is the artist’s contemplation on her own death. Her voice and the choral accompaniment swell, leaving you with a feeling close to divinity and also questioning your entire life. The final line fades out, lingering, reminiscent of the legacy the artist is talking about leaving behind after her own death.

It would be easy to sit and write a 10,000 word thesis about the album, each track differing in style, genre, language and tone. What Rosalía has accomplished is nothing short of revolutionary, solidifying her place as one of music’s brightest stars.