Initially, Lux may look more like a difficult university examination than the latest popular music record by a musician who just had a last single featured a global K-pop icon. Split into four separate sections and sung in 13 languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged album exploring female mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, frequently through the lens of various women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward here, supported by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among a long list of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars seem rather laughable.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that this album manages to avoid dry academic posturing is almost a miracle, and sole credit belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to fuse historical sounds and the present, its ambitions feel much higher on Lux, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly raises this fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts apart, the listener still desire to be alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth clearly on the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh and a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes in with cartoonish impact. The song immediately segues to the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with Lux lies in the listener rarely exactly know—or even wish to predict—where you will go to next."
Nearly every track finishes in a completely distinct point than how it started. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her earlier trap-infused style starts out dark and sinister, with menacing beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of the album involves navigating the gap of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's first work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song sung entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals upward. This trick is echoed by another powerful track that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares with cultural honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand level, a hungry grasp for high Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that takes time to completely explore but never feels like a chore. Where other major releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
