On the surface, this album could seem closer to a difficult scholarly quiz than a new pop album from a musician whose previous hit featured an international pop icon. Broken into 4 distinct movements and performed in thirteen tongues, this is a breathtaking symphonic opus exploring feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often through the lens of different women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched heavenward on this record, supported by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long roll call of contributors. Its sheer daring by itself renders the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend dry intellectual posturing is nothing short of miraculous, and sole praise belonging to Rosalía. While it's not the first time album to blend historical sounds with the present, its ambitions are much higher here, with the balancing act far more precarious. What really raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the iconic artist during her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart apart, you still desire to be right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That playful energy shines clearly during the stirring piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Then, everything falls away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically exaggerated orchestral surge crashes down like cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues to the wild single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in the listener never quite know—nor want to predict—where it will go to next."
Nearly each song concludes in a totally distinct point than where it began. A track examines the transient trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic work begins off moody and sinister, featuring prowling beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
A key balancing act on the album is straddling the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little surprise that it has achieved her first release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. This feat is repeated on another expansive ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a painted-on edge, like a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden gems that requires time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While other big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at it, some tipsy on sacred drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about useless men. It is a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly inventive visionary.
