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At first glance, this album may look more like a challenging academic examination than a new pop record from a musician who just had a last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Divided across 4 different sections and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged album that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, frequently through the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars upwards here, supported by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself renders the work of contemporary artists look rather laughable.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with sole praise going to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to blend the past and modern styles, the scale are much higher here, and the balancing act far more precarious. The element that truly elevates this fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense compositions, and engrained theatricality, is a core sense of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a captivating sense to Rosalía's voice which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she is tearing your heart in two, you still desire to be right there for the ride.

A Prime Example of Exuberance

This playful energy shines clearly during a stirring Italian ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy over several moments. Then, all the music drops away, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh and a declaration before a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds down with cartoonish force. The song then segues to the frenetic single featuring racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise role from the artist herself.

"The magic with this album lies in you never exactly know—or even wish to know—where it will go to next."

Nearly each track concludes at a completely distinct point from how it began. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her earlier trap-infused style starts off dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth its rough corners.

The Balance Between Art & Pop

A key achievement on Lux involves straddling the line of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is little coincidence that it has become her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of truly undeniable hits. One track sung primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spirals skyward. That trick gets echoed by a different powerful ballad that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex weave.

• A dance-infused song charms via its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
• In its words, it shares the cultural impact of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "psychological terrorist".
• Throughout the album, the singing carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."

An Opulent Banquet for the Ears

This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for high Art in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own built-in excess. It is a deep source of buried gems that takes time to completely explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some major releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux is a sumptuous feast where the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.