Initially, this work could seem closer to a challenging academic challenge than a new popular music album from an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with a global pop icon. Broken across 4 different movements and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a breathtaking symphonic work that delves into female mystery, religious ascent, and corporal change, often through the prism of various women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is launched skyward here, supported by the lush sound of a full orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the work of other pop stars appear quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That Lux succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing is nothing short of a miracle, with sole praise going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first album to blend the past with modern styles, the ambitions feel far higher here, with the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly raises her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing your heart apart, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines brightly during the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh and a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes down with comedic force. The track then shifts to the frenetic track featuring racing strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with this album lies in the listener rarely exactly know—or even wish to predict—what it will go next."
Nearly every track ends at a totally different place from where it started. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight symphony before collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous trap-infused work starts off dark and sinister, with prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir arrive to smooth the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
Another crucial balancing act on Lux involves navigating the line of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that it has become her first work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to gather increasingly infectious melodies while it spirals skyward. This trick is repeated by a different powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, like a storybook character hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album is pop on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. This is an abundant source of buried gems that takes time to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other big releases of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the guests at the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about useless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
