At first glance, this album could seem more like a difficult academic quiz rather than the latest pop album from an artist who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Broken into four distinct sections and sung in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying classical-tinged album exploring female mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, frequently via the perspective of various female saints. The end of a romance—a topic treated with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—soars heavenward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within an extensive list of collaborators. The pure audacity alone renders the work of other pop stars look quite modest.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That this album succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing is nothing short of miraculous, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to blend historical sounds with the present, the ambitions are much higher here, and the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that truly elevates this fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to stay right there through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines brightly during the stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh and a declaration before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds down with cartoonish force. The song then segues into the frenetic track featuring racing strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in you never exactly know—or even want to know—what it is going to next."
Nearly every song ends at a totally different point than where it began. One moment explores the transient trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work begins out dark and brooding, with prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Of Art & Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album involves navigating the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language builds on a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spins skyward. This trick is echoed by a different expansive ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its own inherent excess. This is a deep source of buried gems that requires time to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While some major pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, Lux offers a lavish feast where the guests at it, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flutter between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day musical from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
