On the surface, Lux could seem more like a difficult scholarly quiz rather than the latest popular music record from an artist whose last hit featured an international K-pop star. Broken into 4 different parts and performed in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying classical-tinged work exploring female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently via the lens of various female saints. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long list of contributors. Its sheer daring by itself makes the work of other artists look quite modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That this album manages to escape overly intellectual posturing feels almost a miracle, with sole credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, the scale are far greater here, with the tightrope walk more pronounced. What really elevates her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Much like the iconic Björk at her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps the listener up in its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts apart, the listener still want to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly during a stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over several minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo crashes down with cartoonish force. The track then segues to the frenetic single featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The magic with Lux is that you rarely quite understand—or even wish to know—what it will go next."
Almost every track finishes at a completely different place from how it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a cut echoing her earlier trap-infused style begins off moody and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic choir enter to soften its jagged edges.
The Balance Of Experiment & Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act of Lux is navigating the gap between radical innovation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that the album has become the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. A song sung entirely in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging hooks while it spins upward. That feat is echoed by another powerful track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a storybook character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry amid of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes time to completely explore but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a lavish feast where the characters around it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
