At first glance, Lux could seem closer to a difficult academic challenge rather than a new pop album from an artist whose last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken across four different parts and sung in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, often by way of the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars skyward here, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone makes the efforts of other artists seem quite laughable.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in escape overly academic chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, with sole credit belonging to Rosalía. Although this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, the ambitions feel far greater here, and the balancing act more precarious. The element that really elevates her fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary artist during her height, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless want to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on the stirring Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over more than four moments. Then, everything falls away, and there's a spontaneous laugh and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds in like comedic impact. The track immediately segues to the wild single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album is that the listener never quite understand—nor wish to know—where it will go next."
Nearly every song finishes in a totally distinct place from where it started. One moment explores the transient trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to collapsing into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
Another crucial balancing act on Lux involves navigating the gap of bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track sung entirely in English swells around a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spins skyward. This trick is repeated on another powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism for sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its built-in excess. This is an abundant source of hidden gems that takes patience to fully mine but never seem like a chore. While other big releases of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around the table, some tipsy on sacred drink, flutter from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly creative visionary.
