On the surface, this album may look closer to an arduous university examination rather than the latest pop record from an artist whose last single featured an international pop star. Divided across 4 separate movements and sung in thirteen tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, frequently through the perspective of different female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic handled with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—soars upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a long list of collaborators. The pure daring alone makes the efforts of other artists look rather modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend overly intellectual posturing is nearly miraculous, with complete credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to blend the past and modern styles, its stakes feel much greater on Lux, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that truly elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is a core sense of joy. Much like the legendary artist during her height, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still desire to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This playful energy shines brightly on the stirring piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo thuds in with comedic impact. The song immediately segues to the wild track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The charm of Lux is that the listener never quite understand—or even wish to know—where it is going next."
Almost each song finishes at a completely distinct point from how it began. One moment examines the fleeting nature of fame with a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic work begins off moody and brooding, with prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to soften its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art & Accessibility
A key achievement of the album is navigating the line of radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has achieved her first release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in English builds on a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spins skyward. That feat gets echoed on another expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried gems that requires patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While some major pop albums of 2025 seemed like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around it, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flit between discussions about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about useless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
