At first glance, this work could seem more like an arduous scholarly quiz than the latest pop album by a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken into 4 separate movements and performed in thirteen languages, this is a head-spinning classical-tinged album investigating feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often via the perspective of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars upwards on this record, supported by the constant sound of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning composer within an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure audacity alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists look quite small.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to transcend overly academic posturing feels nearly miraculous, and complete praise going to Rosalía. While it's not the first time project to alchemize the past with modern styles, its scale feel far greater here, and the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that truly raises her fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core sense of joy. Much like the iconic artist during her height, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to be right there for the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant energy comes forth brightly on a stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Then, everything falls away, and we hear a spontaneous laugh and a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo crashes in with comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in the listener never quite know—or even wish to predict—where it is going to next."
Nearly every track concludes at a totally different point than where it started. A track examines the fleeting nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous trap-infused work starts out moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
A key balancing act of Lux is straddling the gap between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. One track sung entirely in English builds around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious hooks while it spins skyward. That feat gets repeated on a different expansive ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires patience to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While other major releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, this record is a sumptuous banquet where the characters around it, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter between discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly creative practitioner.
