Initially, this album may look closer to a challenging scholarly examination than a new pop project by an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Broken into 4 different movements and voiced in 13 tongues, we have a head-spinning classical-tinged work exploring feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often through the prism of various female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic handled with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched heavenward on this record, carried by the constant sound of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. The pure daring alone renders the efforts of other pop stars look quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to escape dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nearly a miracle, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize the past with modern styles, its ambitions are far greater on Lux, with the balancing act more pronounced. The element that truly elevates this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and inherent drama, is a core sense of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, you find a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
That playful spirit comes forth brightly during the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything drops silent, and there's a gleeful laugh and a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds down with comedic force. The song then shifts into the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The magic with this album lies in you never quite understand—nor want to predict—what you will go to next."
Almost each track finishes in a completely different place from how it began. A track explores the fleeting nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls the artist's earlier rhythmic work begins off moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Of Art and Pop
A key balancing act on the album involves straddling the gap between radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has become the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed entirely in English builds around a refrain that feels to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spirals skyward. This feat gets echoed by another expansive track that grows and contracts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like song charms with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand scale, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry amid of looming AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism for glorious elevation, creating an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that requires patience to fully explore but never feels like hard work. While some major releases of 2025 felt like feasting on scraps, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the guests around the table, some tipsy on sacred drink, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about useless partners. It is a modern-day musical from pop's most endlessly creative practitioner.
