Initially, this album could seem more like a difficult academic quiz than a new popular music record from an artist who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Broken into four distinct movements and sung in 13 languages, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced work that delves into female mystery, religious transcendence, and physical change, often via the lens of various female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of contemporary artists look rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album manages to escape overly academic chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, and sole credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to blend the past and modern styles, the stakes feel far higher here, and the tightrope walk more precarious. The element that truly raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, you still desire to be right there for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant spirit comes forth clearly during the stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top orchestral surge crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track then segues to the wild track driven by galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm with Lux is that the listener never exactly know—or even wish to know—where it will go to next."
Almost every song ends at a completely different place from how it started. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of fame over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a cut echoing her previous trap-infused style begins out dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album is straddling the line between radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has become her first release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spins upward. This trick gets repeated on another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism for sublime elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its inherent excess. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes time to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast where the guests around the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about useless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly endlessly creative visionary.
