At first glance, this work might appear closer to a difficult university challenge than a new pop record by an artist who just had a previous single featured an international pop icon. Divided into four separate movements and performed in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking classical-tinged opus that delves into feminine mystique, religious ascent, and physical transformation, often through the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer daring alone makes the work of contemporary artists look rather laughable.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in escape dry intellectual posturing is almost a miracle, with sole credit going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to fuse historical sounds with the present, its scale are far greater here, and the balancing act more dramatic. The element that really raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice that pulls you into its tornado. When she is breaking your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth clearly during the stunning piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Then, everything drops away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string surge crashes down like comedic impact. The track then segues into the wild single featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic of Lux is that you rarely quite understand—nor wish to predict—what you will go next."
Almost every track concludes at a completely distinct point than where it began. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a delicate symphony before collapsing in electronic cacophony. Another, a cut echoing her earlier trap-infused work begins off dark and brooding, with menacing beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Of Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on the album involves straddling the line of radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. This is no surprise that the album has achieved the artist's first work to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of truly catchy pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language builds on a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spins upward. That trick is repeated by a different powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of buried treasure that takes time to completely explore but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, Lux offers a lavish feast where the guests around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly endlessly inventive visionary.
