At first glance, this album may look closer to a challenging academic challenge than a new popular music project from an artist who just had a last hit featured an international K-pop star. Split across 4 different sections and sung in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying classical-tinged opus that delves into female mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently through the prism of various women saints. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, buoyed by the lush sound of a full orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among a long list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone renders the work of contemporary pop stars appear rather laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual posturing is nearly a miracle, and sole praise going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, the stakes are far greater here, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly raises her fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines brightly during the stirring Italian ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a comically exaggerated string surge crashes down with comedic impact. The song then shifts to the wild single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with this album lies in you never exactly understand—or even wish to predict—where you is going to next."
Almost every song concludes at a completely distinct point from where it began. A track examines the fleeting nature of celebrity over a delicate symphony only to collapsing into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins out moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art and Accessibility
A key balancing act on the album involves straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy hits. One track performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spirals skyward. That feat is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural honesty of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its own built-in excess. This is a deep well of buried gems that takes time to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, Lux is a lavish feast at which the characters at it, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
