🔗 Share this article

On the surface, this work could seem closer to a difficult academic quiz than a new popular music project by an artist who just had a previous single featured a global pop star. Divided into four separate parts and voiced in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged work that delves into feminine mystery, religious transcendence, and corporal change, frequently via the lens of different women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—is shot upwards on this record, carried by the lush presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure daring alone makes the efforts of other pop stars look rather modest.

Transcending Academic Pretense

That this album succeeds in escape dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, with sole credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not the first time album to alchemize the past with the present, the scale feel much higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Much like the legendary artist at her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice that pulls you into its tornado. Even when she is breaking hearts in two, you still want to be alongside her through the journey.

A Prime Moment of Exuberance

That exuberant energy shines clearly on a stunning Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds down with cartoonish impact. The track then shifts to the wild track driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.

"The charm of this album is that you never exactly know—nor want to predict—what it is going to next."

Nearly each song ends at a completely distinct place from where it began. One moment examines the transient nature of fame with a delicate orchestration before collapsing into digital cacophony. Another, a cut echoing her earlier trap-infused work begins off moody and sinister, with prowling vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to soften the song's rough corners.

The Balance Of Experiment & Pop

A key balancing act on Lux involves straddling the gap between bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is no coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song sung primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to collect more and more infectious melodies while it spirals upward. That trick is echoed on another powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex tapestry.

• A dance-infused song charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
• In its words, it aligns the cultural honesty of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting an ex- lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
• Throughout the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."

An Opulent Feast for the Soul

Lux is pop on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in excess. This is a deep source of buried treasure that takes time to completely explore but never seem like hard work. While some major pop albums of 2025 felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish banquet at which the characters around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flit from conversations about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.