At first glance, Lux could seem more like an arduous university quiz rather than the latest popular music album by an artist who just had a last hit was a collaboration with an international pop star. Divided into 4 different parts and sung in 13 tongues, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often via the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme treated with grounded openness elsewhere—soars skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone renders the work of other artists look quite laughable.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album succeeds in transcend overly academic posturing feels nothing short of a miracle, and sole praise going to the artist. While it's not her first project to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, the scale are much greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that really raises her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts apart, the listener still desire to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy comes forth brightly during a stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish impact. The song then segues to the wild track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic of Lux is that you never quite understand—nor want to know—what you will go to next."
Almost each song finishes at a completely distinct place from how it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work begins off dark and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux is straddling the line between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. This is no surprise that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious hooks while it spins upward. This feat is echoed by another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, weaving layered tunes like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent excess. This is an abundant source of buried treasure that requires time to completely explore but never feels like a chore. While some major pop albums of 2025 felt like a meager scraps, this record offers a lavish feast where the characters around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly creative visionary.
