On the surface, this album could seem more like an arduous university quiz than the latest popular music album from a musician who just had a previous hit featured an international pop icon. Divided into four separate parts and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged opus exploring feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, frequently by way of the perspective of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars upwards here, carried by the constant presence of a full orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among a long roll call of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone makes the work of other artists seem quite modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That Lux succeeds in avoid dry intellectual posturing is nothing short of miraculous, and sole praise going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to blend historical sounds with the present, its scale are much higher here, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What really raises this fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist at her height, you find a captivating sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless want to be right there through the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines clearly during the stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds down like comedic force. The song then shifts into the wild track driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in you never quite know—or even wish to predict—where you will go to next."
Almost every track concludes at a completely different place than where it started. One moment explores the transient nature of fame with a featherlight symphony before disintegrating into digital chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic style starts off moody and brooding, with menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
A key balancing act of the album is navigating the line between bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's first release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. This trick is repeated by a different powerful track that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry in an era of impending AI-generated blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep well of buried treasure that takes time to fully explore but doesn't seem like a chore. Where some major releases of the year felt like a meager scraps, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests around the table, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly restlessly creative visionary.
