At first glance, Lux may look more like an arduous academic challenge than a new popular music album by an artist who just had a last single featured a global pop star. Split into 4 distinct parts and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic work exploring female mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, often through the perspective of different saintly figures. The end of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—soars heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of other pop stars appear rather small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing feels nearly miraculous, with full praise going to the artist. Although this is not the first time album to alchemize the past and modern styles, its stakes are far higher on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. The element that really raises this fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk during her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in like comedic impact. The track then segues into the wild track driven by racing strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with this album is that you never exactly understand—or even want to know—what you will go next."
Nearly every song ends in a completely distinct place than where it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off moody and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Pop
A key balancing act of the album is straddling the gap between radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spirals upward. That feat gets repeated by a different expansive track that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high artistry amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism for glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of hidden gems that takes time to fully mine but never feels like a chore. While some big releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a lavish feast where the characters around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flit between discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about useless men. It is a modern-day musical from music's most restlessly creative visionary.
