Initially, Lux could seem closer to a difficult university challenge rather than a new pop project from a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Split into four separate sections and performed in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning symphonic opus investigating female mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical change, often via the prism of various female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward on this record, supported by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure ambition alone makes the work of other pop stars look rather laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
The fact that this album manages to avoid overly academic posturing is nearly a miracle, and sole praise going to Rosalía. While it's not her first album to alchemize the past and the present, the stakes are much greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises this fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener into its tornado. When she's breaking your heart in two, you still desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly during the stunning Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Suddenly, everything falls silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment prior to a comically exaggerated string surge crashes down with comedic impact. The track immediately shifts to the wild track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener rarely exactly understand—or even want to know—what you will go to next."
Almost each song finishes at a completely different place than where it started. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style begins off moody and sinister, featuring prowling beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to smooth its rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
A key balancing act on Lux involves straddling the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick gets repeated on another powerful ballad that expands and constricts, weaving layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden gems that requires time to completely explore but doesn't seem like hard work. Where other big releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
