At first glance, Lux might appear closer to a difficult university quiz rather than a new popular music project by an artist who just had a previous hit featured an international pop star. Split across 4 different movements and performed in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced album investigating feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently through the prism of different saintly figures. The end of a romance—a theme handled with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward here, carried by the constant sound of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of other pop stars seem quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, with complete credit belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not her first album to blend historical sounds with the present, its scale feel much higher here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What truly raises this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist at her height, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, the listener nevertheless want to be alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
That playful energy shines clearly during the stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh and a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes in like cartoonish impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by racing strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux is that you rarely quite understand—nor wish to know—what you will go to next."
Almost each track concludes in a completely distinct place from how it started. One moment examines the transient trappings of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a song that recalls her earlier rhythmic work begins out moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Art & Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of the album is navigating the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick is repeated on another powerful ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp edge, like a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its inherent excess. This is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires time to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. Where other big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast at which the guests at the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about useless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
