At first glance, this work could seem closer to a challenging academic quiz rather than a new pop album from a musician whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Broken across 4 different sections and sung in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and bodily change, often through the prism of various saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with raw openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, carried by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a vast list of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone makes the work of contemporary pop stars seem quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That this album succeeds in escape overly academic posturing is nothing short of miraculous, with full praise belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first project to alchemize the past with modern styles, the ambitions feel far greater here, with the balancing act more precarious. The element that truly raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be a core sense of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk during her height, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts in two, you still desire to be right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
That exuberant spirit shines clearly during the stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several moments. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds down with comedic impact. The track then shifts into the wild single featuring racing strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album is that the listener rarely quite understand—nor want to predict—what it will go to next."
Almost each track ends at a completely distinct place from how it began. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity with a delicate symphony before collapsing in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her earlier rhythmic style begins off moody and brooding, with prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
Another crucial achievement of Lux is straddling the gap between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. This is no surprise that it has become her first work to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language swells around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly nagging melodies as it spins skyward. That feat is repeated by a different expansive ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its built-in excess. This is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes time to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While other major pop albums of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a lavish banquet where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between discussions about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly creative visionary.
