At first glance, this album might appear closer to a challenging academic examination rather than the latest pop record from a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Broken into 4 separate parts and voiced in thirteen tongues, this is a dizzying classical-tinged work that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently via the lens of different female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive list of contributors. The pure audacity by itself renders the work of other artists look quite laughable.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to escape overly academic posturing feels almost miraculous, and complete praise belonging to the artist. While it's not the first time album to alchemize the past and modern styles, the ambitions feel far higher on Lux, with the balancing act more dramatic. What truly elevates her fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is a core sense of fun. Much like the iconic Björk during her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing your heart apart, the listener still want to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four moments. Then, everything falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated string surge crashes down like cartoonish force. The track immediately segues to the frenetic track driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic with Lux lies in you never quite understand—nor want to predict—what you is going next."
Nearly each song concludes at a completely distinct point from how it began. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating into digital cacophony. Another, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work begins off moody and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement of Lux involves navigating the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has become her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly nagging melodies as it spirals upward. This feat is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with cultural impact of other breakup songs, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in excess. It is a deep well of hidden gems that requires time to fully mine but never seem like hard work. Where other major releases of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit between discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
