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On the surface, this work may look closer to a challenging university quiz than a new pop album by an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Divided across 4 different movements and performed in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus investigating female mystery, spiritual ascent, and physical change, frequently through the prism of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with raw honesty on another major 2025 album—is launched heavenward here, carried by the constant presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists look quite modest.

Rising Above Scholarly Pretense

That this album manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, and complete credit belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize the past with the present, its stakes are far higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk at her peak, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to stay right there through the journey.

A Prime Example of Joy

This playful energy shines clearly on a stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds down like cartoonish impact. The track then segues to the frenetic track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.

"The charm with this album is that you never quite know—nor wish to know—where it is going next."

Almost every song concludes in a totally different point than how it began. One moment explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate symphony before collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work starts out dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its jagged edges.

The Balance Of Experiment & Pop

Another crucial achievement on the album is straddling the gap of bold innovation and mainstream appeal. It is no surprise that the album has achieved her first release to break into the Top 5 of key charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song sung primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spins upward. This trick gets echoed by a different expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like an intricate weave.

• A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
• Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former partner described as an "psychological bully".
• Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, like a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."

An Opulent Feast for the Ears

This album is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried treasure that requires patience to fully explore but never seem like a chore. While some major releases of the year felt like a meager meal, this record is a lavish banquet where the characters around the table, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flit from conversations about ancient figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's truly restlessly creative practitioner.