On the surface, this album could seem more like a difficult academic examination than a new popular music record from a musician whose last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Broken into four distinct movements and performed in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, frequently via the prism of different saintly figures. The end of a romance—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, supported by the constant sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. The pure daring by itself makes the efforts of other artists look rather small.
Transcending Academic Exercise
The fact that this album manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing feels nearly miraculous, with complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to blend historical sounds with the present, its stakes feel much greater here, with the tightrope walk far more dramatic. The element that really elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, dense compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the iconic artist at her height, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. When she is tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant spirit shines brightly during the stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, and we hear a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds down like comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic with Lux is that the listener never quite understand—nor want to predict—what it is going to next."
Almost every track concludes at a completely distinct place than how it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style starts out dark and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its rough corners.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement of Lux involves navigating the gap between radical experimentation and broad accessibility. It is little surprise that it has achieved her first release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable hits. A song sung primarily in English builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spirals skyward. That trick is repeated on a different expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals have a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry amid of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of hidden gems that requires time to completely mine but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests at it, some tipsy on holy wine, flit from conversations about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about useless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
