On the surface, this album might appear closer to an arduous scholarly examination than the latest popular music album by an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Split across 4 different sections and sung in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning symphonic work investigating feminine mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, often via the prism of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a theme handled with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure ambition alone renders the efforts of contemporary artists look rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album manages to escape dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, with full praise going to the artist. While this is not her first album to blend the past with the present, the stakes are far greater here, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. The element that really raises this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of joy. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, the listener nevertheless desire to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant energy shines clearly on a stunning Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, everything falls away, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated string surge crashes in like cartoonish impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The charm with Lux is that you rarely quite know—or even want to predict—where you is going to next."
Almost every song concludes in a completely distinct place from where it began. A track examines the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused work begins off moody and brooding, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Pop
A key achievement of the album involves straddling the gap of bold experimentation and broad accessibility. This is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. A song performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. That trick gets repeated on a different powerful ballad that expands and constricts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried gems that requires time to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. Where other big pop albums of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a lavish banquet at which the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on holy wine, flit from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a modern-day musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
