Initially, this album might appear closer to a challenging university examination rather than a new pop project by a musician whose last single was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided into 4 different parts and performed in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced album that delves into female mystery, religious ascent, and physical change, often via the prism of different saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among a vast roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity alone renders the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
That this album succeeds in transcend overly academic chin-stroking feels nearly a miracle, and sole praise going to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to blend historical sounds with modern styles, its ambitions are much higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. What really elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of joy. Similar to the legendary artist during her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This playful energy comes forth brightly on a stunning piano-led ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle and a comment prior to a comically over-the-top orchestral surge crashes down with cartoonish impact. The song immediately segues to the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener never quite understand—nor want to predict—where you is going to next."
Nearly each track ends in a completely different place from where it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of fame with a delicate orchestration before disintegrating in electronic chaos. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style starts off dark and brooding, featuring menacing beats, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album involves straddling the line of bold experimentation and broad appeal. It is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's first release to crack the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track performed entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spins skyward. This trick is echoed by a different expansive ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple tunes like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, like a storybook character concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album represents pop on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for high artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious elevation, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden treasure that takes time to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While some big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the guests around it, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
