On the surface, this work could seem closer to a difficult university examination than a new pop record from an artist who just had a previous single featured an international pop icon. Broken across four separate sections and performed in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced album investigating feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, often through the prism of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot upwards on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone makes the work of contemporary pop stars seem quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to escape overly academic posturing is nearly miraculous, and complete praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to blend the past and modern styles, the stakes are far higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly elevates this fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic artist during her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its tornado. When she is tearing your heart apart, you nevertheless desire to be right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
That exuberant energy shines clearly on a stunning Italian song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, all the music drops silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh and a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes down like cartoonish force. The track immediately segues to the wild track driven by racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with this album is that the listener never exactly know—nor want to know—where it is going next."
Almost every track finishes at a totally different place from where it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame over a featherlight symphony only to collapsing into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off dark and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act on the album is straddling the line of bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her first release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to gather more and more nagging hooks as it spins upward. This feat gets repeated on a different expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number charms with its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of buried gems that takes patience to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big releases of 2025 felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a lavish feast where the guests at it, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flit from discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
