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On the surface, Lux might appear more like an arduous academic challenge than the latest popular music project by an artist whose last single featured a global K-pop star. Divided into four separate sections and performed in 13 languages, we have a dizzying classical-tinged work investigating feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often via the prism of different women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a theme treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—soars upwards on this record, buoyed by the lush sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself renders the efforts of contemporary artists look quite laughable.

Transcending Scholarly Pretense

That this album manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is almost miraculous, and full credit going to Rosalía. While this is not the first time project to fuse the past with the present, its scale feel far higher here, and the tightrope walk more precarious. What really elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, dense compositions, and engrained drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, you find a wondrous sense to Rosalía's voice that pulls you up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing your heart apart, you nevertheless want to be right there through the ride.

A Prime Example of Exuberance

This playful spirit comes forth clearly during the stunning piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful laugh and a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes in with comedic force. The song immediately shifts into the frenetic single featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.

"The charm with this album lies in the listener rarely quite know—nor wish to predict—what it will go next."

Nearly every song ends at a completely different point than where it started. A track explores the fleeting nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style begins off dark and brooding, featuring menacing beats, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to soften its rough edges.

The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility

A key achievement of Lux involves navigating the gap of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that it has become her highest-charting release to crack the Top 5 of major markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung primarily in English builds around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly infectious hooks while it spins skyward. That feat is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies like an intricate weave.

• A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
• In its words, it shares with pop culture impact of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "emotional bully".
• Throughout the album, the singing have a sharp edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."

A Maximalist Feast for the Soul

This album is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for high Art amid of impending artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. This is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes time to fully explore but never feels like hard work. While some major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a lavish banquet where the characters around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most endlessly inventive practitioner.