On the surface, this album may look more like a difficult university quiz rather than the latest pop record by a musician whose last single featured an international pop star. Split into four distinct movements and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic album investigating female mystery, religious transcendence, and corporal change, frequently by way of the lens of different female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among a long list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of other artists seem quite small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend overly academic chin-stroking is almost a miracle, and complete praise going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to fuse historical sounds with the present, the ambitions are far higher on Lux, and the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk during her height, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she is breaking your heart in two, the listener nevertheless desire to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant energy comes forth clearly on the stirring Italian song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in with cartoonish impact. The song then segues to the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm with this album is that the listener rarely quite know—nor wish to know—where it will go to next."
Nearly each song ends at a completely distinct place from how it started. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before collapsing in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused style begins out dark and sinister, with menacing beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Pop
A key achievement on the album involves navigating the line between radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that it has become her first release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song sung entirely in English builds on a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spirals upward. That trick gets echoed by another expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its inherent excess. This is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires patience to fully explore but never seem like hard work. While other big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a lavish feast where the guests at it, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter between conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
