At first glance, this album could seem more like a difficult scholarly challenge than a new popular music record by a musician who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Split across 4 different movements and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus that delves into feminine mystery, religious ascent, and physical change, often through the perspective of various women saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded honesty on another major 2025 album—soars upwards here, buoyed by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the work of contemporary artists appear quite modest.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That this album manages to escape dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of a miracle, with sole credit going to the artist. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds with the present, the stakes are far higher on Lux, with the balancing act far more dramatic. The element that really elevates this fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of fun. Much like the iconic artist during her height, you find a wondrous quality to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, the listener nevertheless desire to stay right there through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Exuberance
That playful energy comes forth clearly on the stunning Italian ballad inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops away, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo thuds down with comedic force. The song immediately segues to the frenetic track featuring racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener never exactly understand—nor want to predict—what you will go next."
Almost each track ends at a completely different point from where it started. A track examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity over a delicate symphony before collapsing into electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing her earlier rhythmic work begins off moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Of Experiment and Accessibility
A key balancing act of the album involves straddling the line of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's first work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spins skyward. That feat gets repeated on a different powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand level, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden gems that requires time to completely explore but never feels like a chore. Where some major releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on scraps, this record offers a sumptuous banquet where the characters at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred wine, flit from conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared stories about useless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's most restlessly inventive visionary.
