On the surface, this work may look closer to a challenging academic quiz rather than the latest popular music album by an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split across four distinct parts and voiced in 13 languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged album that delves into feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently through the lens of different women saints. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness on another major 2025 album—is launched upwards on this record, supported by the constant presence of a full orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear quite small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album manages to transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking is almost a miracle, and full credit going to the artist. While this is not the first time album to alchemize the past and the present, the ambitions are far higher on Lux, with the balancing act more precarious. The element that truly raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking hearts apart, you still want to stay right there through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth clearly on a stirring piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds in with comedic force. The song then segues to the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The charm with Lux is that the listener never exactly know—nor wish to predict—where it will go next."
Nearly each track ends at a completely distinct place from where it started. One moment examines the transient trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused work begins off moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, until sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Pop
A key achievement on Lux is straddling the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. It is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spirals upward. That feat gets repeated on another expansive ballad that grows and contracts, weaving layered tunes like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural impact of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux is pop on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high Art amid of looming artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes patience to completely mine but never seem like a chore. While other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record offers a lavish feast at which the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
