Initially, Lux could seem closer to an arduous scholarly examination rather than the latest popular music record from a musician who just had a last single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided across four different movements and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced album exploring female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently via the lens of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic treated with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—soars skyward here, carried by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. The pure audacity alone makes the work of other artists seem rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, and sole praise going to the artist. While this is not the first time album to fuse historical sounds with modern styles, its scale feel far greater here, and the balancing act more precarious. What really elevates her fourth album, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Much like the legendary artist at her height, you find a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth clearly on the stunning Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, everything drops away, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds in with comedic impact. The track immediately shifts into the wild single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album is that you rarely exactly understand—or even wish to predict—where you will go next."
Almost every track ends at a completely different place than how it started. A track examines the transient trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins out dark and brooding, with prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement of the album is navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that it has become her first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals upward. This trick is repeated by a different expansive track that expands and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, like a storybook character concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes time to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While other big releases of 2025 seemed like a meager scraps, Lux is a lavish banquet where the characters around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit from discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
