At first glance, this album might appear closer to an arduous university challenge than the latest pop project by an artist whose last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Divided into 4 separate parts and sung in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying symphonic work that delves into feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, frequently through the lens of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars upwards here, buoyed by the lush sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within a long roll call of contributors. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That this album manages to avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, and full praise going to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to fuse historical sounds with the present, the scale feel much higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that really elevates this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, is a core spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary artist at her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. When she is tearing your heart apart, you nevertheless want to be right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That exuberant spirit comes forth brightly during a stirring Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four moments. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a comment prior to a comically over-the-top string surge crashes down like comedic force. The track then shifts to the wild single featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic of this album is that you never exactly understand—or even want to know—where you is going next."
Almost every track finishes at a totally different place than where it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her previous rhythmic work starts off dark and sinister, with prowling beats, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Art & Accessibility
A key achievement on the album is navigating the line between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to crack the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather increasingly nagging melodies as it spins upward. That feat is echoed by another expansive ballad that grows and contracts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
This album is popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried gems that requires time to fully mine but never feels like hard work. Where other major pop albums of 2025 seemed like a meager meal, Lux offers a lavish feast at which the guests around the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flit from discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. It is a modern-day theatrical production from pop's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
