Initially, this album may look closer to a difficult university quiz than a new popular music project by an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Broken into 4 separate movements and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged album investigating feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often through the perspective of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—is launched upwards here, supported by the constant presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux succeeds in avoid overly intellectual posturing is nearly miraculous, with sole credit going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to fuse historical sounds with the present, its scale are far higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary artist at her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still want to be right there for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth clearly during the stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top orchestral surge crashes down with comedic force. The song then shifts into the wild single driven by racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm of Lux is that you rarely quite understand—or even wish to know—where you is going to next."
Nearly every song concludes in a completely distinct place than how it began. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous rhythmic style begins out moody and brooding, with menacing beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
Another crucial achievement on Lux involves straddling the line of bold innovation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of truly catchy hits. A song sung primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. That feat is repeated on a different expansive ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep source of hidden gems that requires patience to completely mine but never feels like a chore. While some big pop albums of 2025 felt like a meager meal, Lux offers a lavish feast where the guests at the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
