At first glance, Lux may look more like a difficult university challenge rather than the latest popular music project from a musician whose previous single featured a global K-pop icon. Split across 4 separate movements and voiced in 13 tongues, this is a dizzying classical-tinged album that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, often through the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward here, carried by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a long roll call of collaborators. The pure daring by itself renders the work of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, and full credit going to the artist. While it's not her first project to fuse the past with the present, the stakes are much greater here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts apart, the listener still want to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant energy shines brightly on the stirring piano-led song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds down with comedic force. The song then segues into the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm with Lux is that the listener never exactly understand—or even want to predict—what you will go next."
Nearly every song ends at a totally different place than where it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her earlier rhythmic work starts out moody and sinister, with menacing beats, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to soften its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of Lux involves navigating the line of bold innovation and mainstream appeal. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved her first work to break into the Top 5 of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. One track performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spirals upward. This trick gets repeated on another expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms with its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious grasp for high artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes patience to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While other big releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the characters around it, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
