On the surface, Lux might appear closer to a challenging academic challenge than a new pop album from an artist whose previous single featured a global K-pop star. Broken across four distinct parts and sung in 13 languages, this is a breathtaking classical-tinged album that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, often through the perspective of various women saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward here, supported by the lush presence of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary pop stars appear quite laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
The fact that this album succeeds in transcend dry intellectual posturing feels almost a miracle, with sole credit going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds with the present, its stakes feel far higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more pronounced. What really raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and engrained drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk during her peak, there is a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. When she is breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
That exuberant energy comes forth clearly on the stirring piano-led song about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, everything falls silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds down with cartoonish impact. The song immediately segues into the wild track featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in you never exactly know—nor wish to predict—where it is going next."
Nearly every track ends in a completely different place from how it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight symphony before collapsing into digital chaos. Another, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic work begins off moody and brooding, with prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
Another crucial balancing act on Lux is straddling the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved her first release to crack the Top 5 of major markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy hits. One track sung primarily in English builds around a chorus that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies as it spirals upward. That trick is echoed on another expansive track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
Lux represents pop on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry amid of looming artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that takes time to completely mine but doesn't feels like a chore. While other big releases of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish banquet at which the guests at it, some tipsy on sacred drink, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
