Initially, this album could seem more like an arduous university examination than the latest popular music project from a musician who just had a last hit featured an international pop star. Broken across 4 distinct parts and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged opus that delves into female mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, frequently via the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—soars upwards on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the work of contemporary artists seem rather laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing is nothing short of miraculous, and complete credit going to Rosalía. While it's not her first project to alchemize the past and modern styles, its scale feel far greater here, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. What truly elevates her fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, the listener still want to stay right there through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh and a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo thuds in like comedic force. The song then shifts into the frenetic track driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with this album lies in you never exactly know—nor want to know—what it is going to next."
Nearly each song ends at a totally distinct place than how it started. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony only to collapsing in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off dark and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Pop
A key balancing act on Lux involves navigating the gap of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved her highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy hits. One track performed primarily in English builds around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spins upward. This feat gets repeated on a different expansive ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried gems that requires patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While other major releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a lavish banquet at which the characters at it, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most endlessly inventive visionary.
