At first glance, this work may look closer to an arduous scholarly quiz rather than the latest pop album by an artist whose previous hit featured a global pop star. Split across four different movements and sung in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying classical-tinged work that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily transformation, often through the perspective of various women saints. The end of a relationship—a theme treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars heavenward here, supported by the lush sound of a major orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer daring alone renders the work of contemporary pop stars seem quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of a miracle, and sole credit belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time project to fuse the past and the present, its scale are much greater on Lux, with the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That playful spirit shines brightly during a stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several moments. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge crashes in with comedic force. The track immediately shifts into the frenetic track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album is that you rarely exactly understand—or even want to know—what you is going to next."
Almost every track finishes in a completely distinct point from how it started. One moment explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a delicate symphony only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work starts out dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, before fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften its rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
A key achievement of the album is straddling the line of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in English swells on a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spins upward. That trick gets echoed on a different powerful ballad that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for high Art amid of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that requires time to fully explore but doesn't seem like hard work. While some major pop albums of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, this record is a lavish feast where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flit between conversations about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
