On the surface, this work may look more like an arduous scholarly examination rather than the latest popular music project by an artist whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken across four distinct parts and sung in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced album exploring feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical change, frequently by way of the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, supported by the constant sound of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists look quite small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That Lux succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with complete praise going to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its stakes feel much higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk more pronounced. The element that truly elevates her fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk during her peak, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you up in its tornado. Even when she is breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth clearly during the stunning Italian ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, and there's a gleeful laugh and a comment prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes down like cartoonish impact. The song immediately segues into the wild single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux lies in the listener rarely exactly know—or even wish to know—what it will go next."
Nearly each song concludes at a completely different point than how it started. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a delicate orchestration only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work starts off dark and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to soften its rough corners.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
A key achievement of Lux is straddling the gap between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that it has achieved her first work to crack the upper reaches of key markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins upward. This trick is echoed by another powerful track that grows and contracts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for capital-A Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in excess. It is a deep well of buried gems that requires time to fully mine but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other major releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly inventive visionary.
