Initially, this album could seem closer to a challenging scholarly examination than a new popular music record by an artist whose last single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Broken across four different parts and sung in thirteen tongues, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently via the lens of different female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars upwards on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the work of other artists appear rather small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to escape overly intellectual posturing feels almost miraculous, with full credit going to Rosalía. While it's not her first project to alchemize the past and the present, the ambitions are far greater here, with the balancing act far more precarious. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, dense compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk during her height, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls you into its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
That playful energy shines brightly on the stirring piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes down like cartoonish impact. The track immediately shifts to the wild track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in you rarely exactly understand—or even want to predict—what it is going to next."
Almost each song ends at a totally different point from how it started. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight symphony before collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused style begins off dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to soften its jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
A key balancing act on the album involves straddling the gap between bold innovation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in English swells on a chorus that feels to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals upward. This trick is repeated by a different expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden treasure that requires time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. Where some big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at it, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between discussions about historical figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
