At first glance, Lux might appear closer to a difficult academic quiz than the latest pop record by a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken into 4 distinct sections and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic work exploring feminine mystique, religious ascent, and corporal change, often via the lens of various women saints. The end of a romance—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, supported by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within a vast roll call of collaborators. The pure ambition alone renders the work of other pop stars appear rather modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in avoid overly academic chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, and sole credit going to the artist. While this is not the first time album to alchemize the past and the present, the ambitions feel far greater here, and the balancing act far more precarious. The element that really elevates her fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk during her peak, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. Even when she is breaking hearts apart, you nevertheless want to stay right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful energy comes forth brightly on a stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several minutes. Then, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in with cartoonish force. The track then segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album is that you never exactly understand—or even want to predict—where you is going next."
Almost each track ends at a completely distinct point than where it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style starts off dark and brooding, with menacing vocals, until sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment & Pop
A key balancing act of Lux is navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad accessibility. It is little coincidence that it has become the artist's highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. One track performed entirely in the English language builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spins upward. This trick is repeated on a different expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture impact of other breakup songs, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of hidden gems that takes patience to fully explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other big pop albums of 2025 felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous feast at which the guests around it, perhaps intoxicated on holy drink, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
