At first glance, Lux may look more like a challenging university quiz rather than a new pop record from a musician who just had a last hit featured an international pop star. Broken across four different parts and performed in 13 languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged opus that delves into female mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, often via the prism of different women saints. The end of a romance—a topic treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched skyward on this record, supported by the lush sound of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the work of other pop stars look rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to escape overly intellectual posturing is nearly miraculous, and sole praise going to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to blend historical sounds with the present, its stakes feel much greater here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay alongside her for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly during a stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several moments. Then, all the music drops away, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a comically exaggerated string surge thuds down like cartoonish impact. The track then shifts to the wild track driven by racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in you never exactly understand—or even want to know—where you is going next."
Almost every song concludes in a completely distinct point from how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a delicate orchestration before collapsing into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work begins off moody and sinister, with prowling beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial achievement on Lux involves straddling the gap of bold innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become her highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to gather more and more nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. This trick gets echoed on another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried gems that requires time to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. Where some major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters at the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
