On the surface, this work might appear closer to an arduous university examination than the latest popular music album from a musician whose last single featured a global pop icon. Broken across four different sections and voiced in thirteen tongues, we have a head-spinning symphonic work exploring female mystery, religious ascent, and bodily change, often by way of the perspective of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward on this record, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within a long roll call of contributors. Its sheer audacity by itself renders the work of other pop stars look rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That this album succeeds in transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, and full credit going to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to blend the past with modern styles, the stakes feel far higher here, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that really elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her peak, you find a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking hearts apart, the listener still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth brightly on the stirring piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a comment prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes in with cartoonish force. The track immediately segues to the frenetic single featuring racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in you rarely quite know—or even want to know—what you is going to next."
Nearly each track ends at a completely different place from how it began. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic style begins off dark and sinister, with menacing vocals, until sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to soften its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap of bold experimentation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's first release to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track performed entirely in English swells on a refrain that seems to gather increasingly nagging melodies as it spins upward. That trick is echoed by a different powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in excess. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires time to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some major releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous feast at which the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit from conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
