At first glance, this album could seem more like an arduous scholarly examination rather than the latest pop album by a musician who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided across 4 different sections and sung in 13 languages, this is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced work exploring female mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical change, often via the lens of different saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars upwards here, buoyed by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among a long list of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to escape overly academic posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise belonging to the artist. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize the past and modern styles, the stakes are much greater on Lux, and the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth album, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking hearts apart, the listener still want to stay right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly during a stunning Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes in with cartoonish force. The track then segues to the wild single driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album lies in you rarely exactly know—or even wish to predict—what it will go to next."
Nearly each song concludes at a totally distinct place from where it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her previous trap-infused work starts off moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften its rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on the album involves straddling the line of bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has become the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. A song sung primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to gather increasingly nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. That feat gets repeated by another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture impact of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a grand level, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of hidden gems that takes patience to fully explore but never seem like a chore. Where other big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, this record offers a lavish feast at which the guests around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about useless men. It is a modern-day musical from music's most restlessly inventive visionary.
