At first glance, this work might appear more like a challenging university examination rather than the latest popular music project by a musician whose previous single featured an international K-pop icon. Split into four different parts and performed in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged work investigating female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, often by way of the lens of various women saints. The end of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, supported by the lush presence of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a vast list of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the efforts of other artists look quite laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That Lux succeeds in escape overly intellectual posturing feels almost miraculous, and sole praise belonging to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds with modern styles, the stakes feel far higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly raises her fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly on a stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds in like comedic force. The track then segues to the wild single featuring racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of Lux is that you rarely quite understand—nor wish to predict—where you will go to next."
Nearly every song ends in a completely distinct point from how it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame with a delicate symphony only to disintegrating in electronic chaos. Another, a cut that recalls her earlier rhythmic work starts off dark and sinister, with prowling beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its jagged edges.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
A key achievement on Lux involves navigating the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song performed entirely in the English language builds around a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. This feat gets echoed by another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, like a storybook character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high Art amid of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't seem like a chore. While some big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast at which the characters around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day musical from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
