On the surface, this album might appear closer to an arduous scholarly quiz than a new pop album by an artist whose previous single featured an international K-pop star. Divided into 4 different sections and sung in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often via the lens of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme treated with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward on this record, supported by the lush presence of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning composer among a long roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself makes the efforts of other artists look quite small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, and full praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, the stakes feel far greater here, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. What really elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, is a core spirit of fun. Much like the iconic Björk during her peak, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless want to stay right there through the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth brightly on a stunning Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Then, everything falls away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds in like cartoonish impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with this album is that the listener rarely quite understand—or even want to predict—where you is going to next."
Nearly each song finishes in a completely different point than where it started. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing her earlier rhythmic work starts out moody and sinister, with menacing beats, before sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to soften the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement of the album is straddling the line of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. A song sung entirely in English swells around a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals upward. That trick gets repeated on another powerful ballad that expands and constricts, weaving layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural impact of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent excess. It is a deep well of hidden gems that takes time to fully mine but never seem like hard work. Where some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish banquet at which the characters around the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter between discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
