Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ Explained: The Most Ambitious Pop Album of the Year

Spanish pop star Rosalía is back with her new album, Lux. Over eighteen tracks, she trades in the dembow beats that filled her last record Motomami for maximalist orchestral sounds more in line with Björk than Bad Bunny. The album is dense: there's four movements, thirteen languages, arrangements by Caroline Shaw, and a wide breadth of influences – from Benedictine saints to Patti Smith. But despite (or because) all of this, Rosalía has gone on record referring to Lux as, ultimately, a pop album. That's where we come in. On this episode of Switched On Pop, Nate and Reanna put on their tour guide hats to talk all things Lux: its sonic genre-bending, Rosalía’s poetic lyricism, and her hyper-local flamenco influence. 00:00 Introduction to Rosalia's New Album 'Lux' 00:04 First Impressions of 'Berghain' 01:09 Exploring the Unique Sound of 'Lux' 03:53 Multilingual Aspects 05:21 Classical Influences and Collaborations 07:37 Musical Complexity 08:42 Juxtapositions in 'Lux' 09:52 Highlighting Key Tracks: 'Divinize' and others 17:47 Lyrical Depth and Themes 25:44 Rosalia's Accessibility and Pop Appeal 34:52 Flamenco Roots and Final Thoughts SONGS DISCUSSED Rosalía “Berghain” Rosalía “Bizcochito” Rosalía “De Madrugá” Rosalía “Mio Cristo” Rosalía “La Yugular” Björk “Joga” Caroline Shaw, Roomful of Teeth “Partita for 8 Voices” Rosalía “Sexo, Violencia y Llantas” Rosalía “Divinize” Rosalía “Porcelana” Rosalía “Dios Es Un Stalker” The Police “Every Breath You Take” Rosalía “La Perla” Johann Strauss II “The Blue Danube” Drake “Push Ups” Rosalía “Sauvignon Blanc” Lady Gaga “Grigio Girls” Adele “I Drink Wine” Rosalía “Focu ‘Ranni” Rosalía “Novia Robot” Rosalía “La Rumba del Perdón”