On the surface, Lux might appear more like an arduous academic examination rather than a new popular music album from a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided across 4 different movements and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged album exploring female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, often via the lens of various female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—soars skyward on this record, supported by the lush presence of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer daring by itself makes the efforts of other pop stars appear quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to transcend overly intellectual posturing is nearly a miracle, and full credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its ambitions feel far greater here, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly elevates her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Much like the iconic Björk at her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart apart, you still want to stay right there for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines brightly on the stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Then, all the music drops away, and we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string surge thuds down with comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The charm of this album lies in you never exactly know—nor wish to predict—what it will go to next."
Almost each song finishes in a totally distinct place from how it started. A track examines the transient trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous rhythmic work starts out moody and brooding, with menacing beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Art & Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves navigating the gap of radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed entirely in English builds around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick gets echoed by a different expansive ballad that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares with cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried treasure that requires time to completely mine but never feels like hard work. While other major releases of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests at it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
