On the surface, this work may look more like a difficult academic examination than a new pop record by an artist who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Broken across four separate parts and sung in thirteen languages, we have a dizzying symphonic opus that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, frequently through the lens of different female saints. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot skyward on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within a long list of collaborators. Its sheer daring alone makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that Lux manages to escape dry academic chin-stroking feels almost miraculous, and sole praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time project to fuse the past with the present, the ambitions feel far higher on Lux, with the balancing act more dramatic. What really elevates her fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. Even when she is tearing your heart in two, you still desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This playful energy shines brightly during the stunning Italian ballad about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes down like cartoonish force. The song immediately segues to the frenetic track driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in the listener rarely quite understand—or even want to predict—where it will go next."
Almost every song finishes in a totally different point than how it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style starts off moody and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Pop
A key achievement on the album involves straddling the gap of radical experimentation and broad appeal. It is no surprise that it has become her first work to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. One track sung entirely in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spins skyward. That trick is echoed by another expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural impact of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album is pop on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its inherent excess. It is a deep source of hidden treasure that requires time to completely explore but never seem like hard work. Where some big releases of 2025 felt like a meager scraps, this record offers a sumptuous feast where the guests around the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flit between conversations about historical figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
