On the surface, this work could seem more like an arduous scholarly quiz rather than a new popular music project from an artist who just had a last single featured an international pop star. Broken across 4 distinct movements and performed in 13 tongues, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged opus investigating feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often through the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to transcend overly intellectual posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, with full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, its ambitions are far higher here, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. What truly raises her fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary artist during her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
That playful energy shines brightly on the stunning Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several moments. Then, all the music falls away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes down with comedic force. The song then shifts into the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener rarely exactly know—nor wish to predict—what you is going to next."
Almost each song finishes in a totally different point than how it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate orchestration before collapsing in digital cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls her earlier rhythmic work begins off dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art & Pop
Another crucial achievement on Lux involves straddling the line between radical experimentation and broad accessibility. This is little coincidence that the album has become her highest-charting release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather increasingly nagging melodies as it spins skyward. That trick is echoed by another expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of buried gems that takes patience to fully explore but doesn't seem like hard work. Where some big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager scraps, this record is a sumptuous banquet where the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
