At first glance, this album might appear more like a challenging scholarly examination than a new pop album from an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with a global pop icon. Broken into four different parts and performed in 13 languages, it is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced opus that delves into female mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often via the prism of various saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a theme handled with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards on this record, supported by the lush presence of a major orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer within an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the efforts of other artists seem quite small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
The fact that this album manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with full praise belonging to the artist. While this is not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, the scale feel far greater here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that truly elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Much like the iconic artist during her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. When she is tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to be alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant spirit comes forth brightly during a stirring Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several moments. Suddenly, all the music drops away, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds down with cartoonish impact. The song immediately shifts to the frenetic track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with this album lies in the listener never exactly know—nor want to know—where it will go to next."
Nearly each track concludes at a completely different point from where it began. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous rhythmic style starts off dark and sinister, with menacing beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of the album is straddling the line of radical experimentation and broad appeal. It is little surprise that it has become her first release to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in English swells on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly infectious hooks while it spirals upward. That trick gets echoed on a different expansive ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its inherent excess. This is a deep source of buried gems that requires patience to completely explore but doesn't seem like a chore. While other big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux is a lavish feast where the characters at it, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
