On the surface, this album might appear closer to a difficult scholarly quiz than the latest pop project from a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Split into four different movements and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work that delves into female mystique, religious ascent, and physical transformation, often through the prism of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a romance—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, carried by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among a long list of contributors. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem quite small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in escape overly academic chin-stroking is nothing short of a miracle, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to fuse the past and the present, the ambitions are far greater on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really elevates her fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you still desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish impact. The song immediately segues into the wild single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener rarely quite know—nor want to know—where you will go to next."
Almost every song ends in a completely different point than where it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame with a delicate symphony before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Another, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic work starts out dark and brooding, with menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Art & Pop
Another crucial balancing act on Lux is straddling the line between radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that the album has become the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. One track performed primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spins skyward. That trick gets echoed on another expansive track that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for high Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes patience to completely explore but never seem like a chore. While other major pop albums of 2025 felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a lavish feast at which the characters at it, some tipsy on sacred wine, flutter from discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
