Initially, this work could seem closer to a difficult university examination than the latest popular music project by a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Split into 4 different movements and voiced in 13 tongues, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily change, frequently through the lens of various female saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched upwards on this record, supported by the lush sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking is almost miraculous, with full credit going to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its stakes are far higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist during her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, you still desire to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly on the stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Then, everything drops silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in like comedic force. The track then segues to the wild track featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic with this album lies in you rarely quite understand—nor wish to know—what it is going to next."
Almost every track finishes at a completely different place than where it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration only to collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work starts off dark and brooding, featuring menacing beats, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on the album is navigating the line of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is little coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in English builds on a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spins skyward. That feat gets echoed on another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. This is an abundant well of hidden treasure that requires patience to completely explore but never feels like hard work. Where other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous feast at which the characters at the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit from conversations about historical figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
