At first glance, this album might appear more like an arduous academic challenge than a new popular music album by a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Divided across 4 distinct sections and performed in 13 tongues, it is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced album exploring female mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often through the prism of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched upwards on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a long list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone makes the work of other artists look quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend overly intellectual posturing is nearly miraculous, and complete credit going to the artist. Although this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and modern styles, its scale are far greater on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. What really elevates her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is a core sense of joy. Much like the legendary artist at her height, there is a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant energy shines clearly on a stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops away, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh and a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top string surge thuds down like comedic impact. The song immediately shifts to the frenetic single featuring galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The charm of Lux lies in the listener never exactly understand—or even want to know—where you will go to next."
Almost each track concludes at a completely different place than how it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic style starts out moody and sinister, with menacing vocals, before fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its rough corners.
The Bridge Of Art and Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album is navigating the line of radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that it has become the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious hooks while it spins upward. That feat is repeated by another powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its own built-in excess. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit between discussions about historical figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly creative visionary.
