On the surface, this work might appear more like a difficult university quiz than the latest popular music record from a musician whose last single featured an international pop star. Divided across 4 distinct movements and sung in thirteen languages, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged album exploring female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently via the lens of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic handled with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars upwards on this record, buoyed by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of other artists appear rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, with sole praise going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time project to alchemize the past and modern styles, its stakes feel far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. What really elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you into its tornado. When she is breaking your heart apart, you nevertheless want to be right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stunning Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes in with comedic impact. The track then segues into the wild track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux lies in the listener never exactly understand—or even want to know—what it will go next."
Almost every song finishes in a completely different place from how it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in electronic cacophony. Another, a song that recalls her earlier rhythmic style starts off moody and sinister, with prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to soften its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art & Accessibility
A key balancing act on Lux is navigating the line between radical experimentation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. One track performed entirely in English builds on a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks while it spins skyward. That feat gets repeated by a different expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural impact of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in excess. This is a deep source of hidden gems that takes time to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While some big releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the guests at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
