At first glance, this album could seem closer to an arduous scholarly examination rather than a new popular music project by a musician who just had a last single featured an international pop icon. Broken across four separate movements and sung in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often through the prism of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched upwards on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars appear rather small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, with sole credit going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to alchemize the past with the present, the stakes are much greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What really raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Much like the legendary artist during her height, you find a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stunning Italian song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in with comedic impact. The track immediately shifts into the frenetic single driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic of this album is that you never quite know—or even want to predict—what it is going next."
Nearly every song ends at a completely distinct point from where it began. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her earlier rhythmic style starts out moody and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough corners.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
A key balancing act of the album is straddling the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved her first release to crack the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung primarily in the English language builds around a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spirals upward. This feat gets repeated on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high Art amid of looming artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes time to fully explore but never feels like hard work. While other major releases of 2025 felt like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish banquet where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's most endlessly creative practitioner.
