Initially, this work may look closer to a difficult scholarly challenge than the latest popular music project from an artist whose last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Divided into four distinct movements and sung in thirteen tongues, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystery, religious ascent, and bodily transformation, frequently by way of the prism of different women saints. The end of a relationship—a topic handled with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot skyward here, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer daring by itself renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem quite laughable.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that this album manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, and full credit belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not her first project to fuse the past with modern styles, the ambitions feel far greater on Lux, with the balancing act more precarious. What truly raises her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary artist at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. When she is breaking your heart apart, you nevertheless want to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stirring Italian song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, everything falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds down with comedic force. The track then shifts to the wild single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The magic of Lux is that you rarely exactly know—nor want to predict—where it is going to next."
Almost every track concludes at a completely distinct point than where it started. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to collapsing into digital chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic style starts off dark and sinister, with menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
A key achievement on the album involves straddling the line of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that it has become her first work to break into the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals upward. This feat is repeated on another powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares with cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in excess. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that takes patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While other big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous feast where the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
