At first glance, this album could seem closer to an arduous scholarly quiz rather than a new pop album by a musician who just had a previous hit featured an international K-pop star. Split into four distinct sections and sung in thirteen languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged album investigating female mystery, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often by way of the prism of different saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot skyward here, carried by the constant sound of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer daring by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear rather modest.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux succeeds in escape dry academic chin-stroking feels nearly a miracle, with sole praise going to Rosalía. While it's not her first project to blend the past and modern styles, its ambitions are far higher here, and the tightrope walk more precarious. What truly elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly on a stirring Italian song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds down like comedic force. The song then shifts to the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic with this album is that you never quite know—or even wish to know—what it is going next."
Almost each track ends at a completely distinct point than how it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame over a delicate symphony before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic work starts off moody and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to smooth the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
A key achievement of the album involves navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in the English language builds around a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals upward. That feat gets echoed on another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, crafting a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes time to completely mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While other major pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly creative visionary.
