At first glance, Lux may look closer to a challenging university quiz rather than a new popular music project from a musician who just had a previous single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split into four separate sections and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a dizzying symphonic album that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, frequently via the perspective of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary artists seem rather small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking is almost a miracle, with full praise going to the artist. Although it's not the first time album to fuse the past and modern styles, the stakes are far greater here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that truly elevates this fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Much like the iconic Björk at her peak, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she is tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth clearly during a stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down like cartoonish force. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track driven by racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic of Lux is that the listener rarely exactly understand—or even want to predict—where it is going to next."
Nearly each track ends in a totally distinct point from how it began. One moment explores the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing her previous trap-infused style starts out dark and sinister, with prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
A key achievement of Lux involves straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spirals upward. That feat gets repeated on a different expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in excess. This is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes time to fully mine but never feels like a chore. Where other big pop albums of 2025 seemed like a meager meal, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flit between discussions about historical figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
