On the surface, this work might appear more like a difficult university quiz rather than the latest popular music album by a musician whose last hit featured a global pop star. Broken across four distinct sections and sung in thirteen tongues, this is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced opus investigating female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently via the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic handled with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward on this record, supported by the lush sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the work of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, with full credit going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its stakes feel far greater here, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What really raises this fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist at her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart apart, you nevertheless want to be alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Then, everything drops away, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm of this album is that you rarely exactly know—or even want to predict—where it will go next."
Almost each song ends at a completely different point than where it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her earlier trap-infused style starts out dark and sinister, featuring menacing beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Pop
Another crucial balancing act on Lux is navigating the line between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's first work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. That trick is repeated by another powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies as a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents pop on a grand level, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in excess. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that takes time to fully explore but never seem like hard work. While some major pop albums of 2025 felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests around it, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative practitioner.
