At first glance, this album might appear closer to a difficult university quiz than a new popular music record from an artist whose last single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split across four separate parts and performed in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced album that delves into female mystery, religious transcendence, and corporal change, frequently by way of the lens of different female saints. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—is shot heavenward here, supported by the lush sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of contributors. The pure audacity by itself makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to escape dry academic posturing feels almost a miracle, and complete credit going to Rosalía. Although this is not the first time project to fuse historical sounds and the present, its ambitions feel much higher here, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What truly raises her fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the legendary artist during her peak, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts in two, you still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
This playful energy shines clearly during a stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Then, all the music falls away, and there's a gleeful giggle followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes in like comedic impact. The song immediately segues into the frenetic track driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener rarely quite know—or even wish to predict—where it will go next."
Almost every track finishes at a completely distinct point than where it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, until fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to soften its jagged edges.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Pop
A key balancing act of the album involves navigating the gap of radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that it has become the artist's highest-charting work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in English swells on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly infectious hooks while it spins upward. This trick gets repeated by a different expansive ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the cultural impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album is pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden gems that takes time to fully mine but doesn't seem like a chore. While other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, this record offers a lavish feast at which the characters around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day musical from pop's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
