At first glance, this work might appear closer to a challenging scholarly examination than the latest popular music record from an artist whose previous hit featured an international pop star. Divided into four different movements and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking symphonic opus that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, often via the perspective of different women saints. The end of a romance—a topic treated with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is launched upwards on this record, supported by the constant presence of a full orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer among a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars look rather modest.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing feels almost a miracle, with sole praise going to the artist. While it's not the first time album to blend the past with the present, the ambitions feel far greater here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really raises her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of fun. Much like the legendary artist at her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still want to stay right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful energy comes forth clearly during a stunning Italian ballad about a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds down like comedic impact. The track immediately shifts into the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in you rarely exactly know—or even wish to know—what it will go next."
Almost every track finishes in a completely different place from how it began. One moment examines the transient trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused style starts off moody and brooding, with menacing beats, before sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its rough corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux involves straddling the line of bold innovation and broad accessibility. This is little surprise that it has achieved her highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in English builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious melodies while it spins skyward. This feat is repeated by another powerful track that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals carry a painted-on edge, like a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried gems that takes time to completely mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of 2025 felt like a meager meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
