On the surface, this album might appear closer to an arduous university examination rather than the latest popular music album from a musician whose last single featured an international pop icon. Split into four different movements and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often by way of the lens of various women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched upwards on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a major orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the work of other artists look rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to blend historical sounds and modern styles, the scale feel much greater on Lux, and the balancing act more precarious. What really raises this fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is a core sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her height, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she is tearing hearts in two, the listener still want to be right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
That playful energy shines clearly during a stirring piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh and a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds in like comedic impact. The track then shifts to the wild track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener never quite understand—nor wish to know—where you is going to next."
Almost each song concludes at a totally different place than how it started. A track explores the transient trappings of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off dark and sinister, with prowling beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to soften the song's rough edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act on the album is straddling the gap between bold innovation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become her highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of key charts: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals upward. This feat gets repeated by a different powerful track that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, akin to a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art amid of looming AI-generated blankness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried treasure that requires patience to fully mine but never feels like a chore. Where other big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish feast where the characters around it, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flit from discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's most endlessly inventive visionary.
