At first glance, this work could seem closer to a challenging scholarly examination than the latest popular music project by a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with a global pop icon. Broken into four different parts and sung in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic handled with raw openness on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure audacity by itself makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem rather laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
The fact that Lux succeeds in escape overly intellectual posturing is nothing short of a miracle, with full credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first album to alchemize the past with modern styles, the stakes are much greater here, and the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly raises this fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk during her height, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines brightly during a stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes down like comedic force. The track immediately shifts to the frenetic track driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The magic of Lux is that the listener never quite understand—or even want to know—what you will go next."
Nearly each song concludes in a totally different place than where it began. A track examines the transient nature of fame with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
A key achievement of the album is straddling the gap between bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is little coincidence that the album has become her highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in English swells around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals skyward. That trick is echoed by a different powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is popular music on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art amid of looming artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its inherent excess. It is a deep well of buried treasure that requires time to fully mine but never seem like a chore. Where other big releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on sacred drink, flit from conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about useless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
