On the surface, this work could seem closer to a challenging university examination rather than a new pop album from a musician whose last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Broken into four separate parts and sung in 13 languages, we have a head-spinning orchestral-influenced work that delves into feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently by way of the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards here, buoyed by the constant presence of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a long roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem quite modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That this album succeeds in escape overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, and complete credit going to Rosalía. While this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its scale are much higher here, with the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that really elevates her fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Much like the legendary artist during her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to stay right there through the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly on a stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes in with comedic force. The song then shifts into the wild track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm with Lux is that the listener rarely exactly understand—or even wish to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly every song concludes in a totally different place than where it began. One moment explores the transient nature of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing in digital cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused work starts off moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, before sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
A key achievement of Lux is navigating the line between bold innovation and mainstream accessibility. This is little coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of truly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spins skyward. This feat is repeated on another expansive ballad that expands and constricts, weaving layered melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes time to completely mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While other major pop albums of 2025 seemed like feasting on scraps, this record is a lavish banquet at which the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit from discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about useless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
