At first glance, this work could seem closer to a challenging academic challenge rather than the latest popular music album from an artist whose previous single featured an international pop icon. Divided across 4 distinct parts and sung in 13 languages, this is a dizzying symphonic opus exploring female mystique, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, often through the perspective of various women saints. The end of a romance—a topic handled with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—soars heavenward here, supported by the constant sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the efforts of other artists look rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of a miracle, with sole praise going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to blend the past with the present, the scale feel much greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk more pronounced. The element that really elevates this fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk during her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
That exuberant energy shines clearly on a stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds in like cartoonish force. The song immediately shifts into the frenetic single driven by racing strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of Lux is that you rarely quite understand—nor want to predict—where it will go next."
Nearly each song concludes at a completely distinct place from how it started. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into electronic chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins out dark and sinister, with menacing beats, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key balancing act of Lux is navigating the line of radical experimentation and broad accessibility. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her first work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. This feat is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the cultural honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand level, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that requires time to completely mine but never feels like hard work. Where some big pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
