At first listen, I was a bit con­
fused. I have followed and 
admired the singer Rosalia 
for years, but I didn’t expect 
her latest album, Lux, to be so 
serene. Motomami (2022) is the 
album most people recognize 
her for, with songs influenced 
by reggaeton and trap. Others 
might know her for her dis­
tinctly Spanish style in earlier 
albums such as El Mal Querer 
(2018), which blends Catalan 
and flamenco culture into pop. 
However, I have come to realize 
songs such as Hentai and Como 
Un G, off Motomami, are pre­
ambles to the great novela that 
is Lux.
The lyrics of Lux discuss Rosa­
lia’s past loves, but go beyond 
simple harmonized gossip by 
focusing on what she learned 
from the relationships. In “La 
Perla,” for example, Rosalia 
metaphorically examines the 
experience of having to tip toe 
around a lover who is as deli­
cate as a pearl. For a non-Span­
ish speaker, the song sounds 
lighthearted and catchy, but it’s 
loaded with pointed statements 
and complex lyricism;despite 
being a Spanish speaker, I’m 
equally drawn to the produc­
tion of the tracks as I am to 
the clever lyricism. She sings 
about heartache and lovers 
but also digs into more com­
plex thoughts about the divine 
feminine and womanhood. On 
“Magnolias,” she sings about 
existentialism and accepting the 
inevitable fate at the end of life. 
She also coins some of my new 
favorite phrases in this song, 
“terrorista emocional” (terrorist 
of emotions) and “ladrón de 
paz” (thief of peace). 
One of the major contributions 
of Lux to the music world is 
Rosalia’s choice to replace her 
previous bachata, reggaeton 
and electronic influences with  
classical arrangements. The 
songs’ modern anxieties are 
backed by choirs, string ac­
companiment, and opera-like 
vocals.  Rosalia’s range is re­
ally shown in Lux; she sings in 
thirteen languages throughout 
the eighteen tracks, which gives 
her access to a wide range of 
unique expressions. In Span­
ish, for example, the phrase “te 
quiero” is somewhere between 
“I love you” and “and I care for 
you [without a romantic at­
tachment]” and has no casual 
English equivalent. As someone 
who finds inspiration every­
where– including my diverse 
background and travel experi­
ences– I felt particularly seen by 
this approach in her songwrit­
ing. 
Throughout the album she hints 
at her own musical inspirations—
LUX: The Great Novela
Album Review
By Sarah Elizabeth Fernandez
14

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