🔗 Share this article

At first glance, this album might appear more like a difficult scholarly quiz than a new pop album from a musician who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided into 4 separate sections and performed in thirteen languages, it is a breathtaking symphonic album investigating female mystique, religious ascent, and physical transformation, frequently by way of the perspective of different saintly figures. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is launched skyward here, supported by the lush sound of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning composer among a vast roll call of collaborators. Its sheer daring alone makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look quite laughable.

Transcending Scholarly Exercise

That this album manages to transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with complete credit belonging to the artist. Although this is not her first project to fuse historical sounds and the present, the ambitions feel far higher here, and the balancing act far more precarious. What really elevates this fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist at her height, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart apart, you still want to be alongside her through the ride.

A Prime Example of Joy

This playful energy shines clearly during the stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool over several moments. Suddenly, everything drops silent, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds down with comedic impact. The song then shifts to the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.

"The magic of this album is that you rarely exactly understand—nor want to predict—what it is going next."

Nearly each track ends at a completely distinct point than how it started. One moment explores the transient nature of fame over a delicate orchestration only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused work begins off moody and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to soften the song's jagged corners.

The Balance Of Art & Pop

A key balancing act of the album involves navigating the gap between bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies as it spirals upward. This feat is echoed on a different powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.

• A dance-infused song seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
• In its words, it shares with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
• Throughout the album, the vocals have a sharp edge, like a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."

An Opulent Feast for the Ears

This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its own built-in excess. This is an abundant source of buried gems that takes time to fully mine but doesn't seem like a chore. While other major releases of 2025 seemed like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous banquet where the guests around it, some tipsy on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly inventive practitioner.