Initially, this album may look closer to a difficult academic examination than a new pop record from an artist who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Broken into 4 separate sections and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged work investigating feminine mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, often through the lens of various female saints. The end of a romance—a topic treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards on this record, carried by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among an extensive list of collaborators. The pure daring alone makes the work of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Transcending Academic Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly academic posturing is nearly miraculous, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, the ambitions feel much higher on Lux, and the balancing act far more dramatic. What truly raises her fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is a core spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its tornado. When she's breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly on the stirring Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down like cartoonish force. The track then segues into the wild track driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The charm of this album is that the listener never quite know—or even want to know—where you will go next."
Nearly every song ends at a completely distinct point from how it began. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her previous rhythmic work starts off dark and brooding, with menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act on the album involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little surprise that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed entirely in English builds around a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals upward. That trick gets repeated on a different expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes time to completely mine but never feels like a chore. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly creative practitioner.
