On the surface, this album might appear more like an arduous academic quiz rather than a new popular music album by a musician whose previous single featured an international K-pop star. Broken into four different movements and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and bodily change, frequently through the prism of various women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, carried by the constant sound of a major orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long roll call of contributors. The pure audacity alone renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars seem quite laughable.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That Lux succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing is nearly a miracle, with sole praise going to the artist. While it's not the first time project to blend the past with modern styles, its stakes are far higher here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. What really raises her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Much like the iconic artist during her peak, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. When she is breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit shines brightly on the stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything drops silent, and we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo crashes in with cartoonish force. The song then shifts into the wild single driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The magic with Lux lies in the listener never exactly know—or even want to predict—what you will go next."
Almost each track finishes at a totally distinct place from where it began. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony before collapsing in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work begins off moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Of Experiment & Pop
Another crucial achievement on Lux is straddling the line between radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks as it spirals upward. This feat is echoed on another expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a painted-on edge, like a storybook character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its inherent excess. This is a deep source of hidden treasure that requires patience to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While some major releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative practitioner.
