On the surface, Lux may look more like a difficult academic challenge than the latest popular music project by an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Broken into four distinct movements and sung in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced album exploring female mystery, religious ascent, and bodily transformation, often via the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward on this record, supported by the lush presence of a full orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of other pop stars look rather laughable.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, the stakes feel far higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that really elevates this fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stirring Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge crashes in with comedic impact. The song immediately segues into the wild single featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux is that the listener never quite know—nor want to predict—what it will go to next."
Almost every song ends in a completely different place from where it began. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused style begins out moody and sinister, featuring prowling beats, before sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of the album is straddling the line between radical experimentation and broad accessibility. This is little coincidence that it has become the artist's first release to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language swells around a chorus that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals skyward. This feat is echoed by a different powerful ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for high Art in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried gems that requires patience to completely mine but never seem like a chore. While some big pop albums of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish banquet at which the guests at it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
