At first glance, this album could seem closer to an arduous academic examination than the latest pop album by a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with a global pop star. Divided into four distinct movements and performed in thirteen tongues, this is a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring female mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, frequently through the lens of various saintly figures. The end of a romance—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, buoyed by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive list of contributors. The pure audacity alone makes the work of other pop stars look rather modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to escape overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and sole credit going to the artist. Although it's not her first album to fuse the past with the present, its ambitions are far higher here, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. The element that really raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still want to be alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines brightly during a stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music drops away, and there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in with comedic impact. The track then segues to the wild track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener never exactly know—or even want to know—where you will go to next."
Almost every song concludes in a totally different place from how it started. One moment explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her earlier trap-infused work begins out dark and sinister, with prowling beats, until fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic choir arrive to soften the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
A key achievement on the album is straddling the gap of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that the album has become her first work to crack the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a suite of truly undeniable hits. A song sung entirely in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins upward. That feat is repeated by a different expansive track that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of hidden gems that requires patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While some major releases of 2025 felt like a meager scraps, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from conversations about ancient figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
