On the surface, this work might appear more like an arduous academic examination than the latest pop project from an artist who just had a previous single featured a global pop star. Divided into four different movements and sung in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying classical-tinged work investigating female mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical change, frequently by way of the prism of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, carried by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among a long roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary artists seem quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album manages to escape dry academic chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise going to the artist. Although this is not the first time album to fuse the past with modern styles, its ambitions are much higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. What really elevates her fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing your heart apart, the listener still want to be alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly on a stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several moments. Then, everything falls away, and there's a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment prior to a comically over-the-top orchestral surge thuds down like cartoonish impact. The track then segues to the frenetic single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener rarely quite understand—or even want to predict—where it will go to next."
Nearly every song concludes in a completely different point than where it began. One moment explores the transient nature of fame with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Of Art & Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album is navigating the gap of radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. One track sung entirely in the English language builds around a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging melodies while it spins upward. That feat gets repeated on a different expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, like a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its inherent excess. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes time to fully explore but doesn't seem like hard work. Where other big pop albums of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the characters at it, some intoxicated on holy drink, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
