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On the surface, this work could seem more like an arduous academic examination rather than the latest popular music record by a musician who just had a last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Split across four separate sections and voiced in 13 languages, we have a dizzying symphonic opus investigating female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often by way of the lens of various women saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme handled with raw openness on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards here, buoyed by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. The pure ambition alone renders the work of contemporary artists look quite modest.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

That this album succeeds in escape overly academic chin-stroking feels nearly a miracle, with sole praise belonging to the artist. Although it's not her first album to blend historical sounds with modern styles, its ambitions are far greater here, and the tightrope walk more precarious. What really raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist during her height, there is a captivating quality to Rosalía's singing that pulls the listener into its tornado. When she is tearing your heart in two, the listener still want to be right there for the ride.

A Prime Moment of Exuberance

This playful energy comes forth clearly during a stunning piano-led ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for several moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, and we hear a spontaneous laugh followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge crashes in like comedic force. The song then shifts into the frenetic single driven by racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.

"The magic of Lux lies in you never quite know—nor wish to predict—what you is going to next."

Almost every track ends in a totally different point from where it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls her previous rhythmic work starts out dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, before fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's jagged corners.

The Balance Of Experiment & Pop

Another crucial balancing act of the album is straddling the gap between radical experimentation and broad accessibility. It is little surprise that the album has achieved her first work to crack the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in English swells around a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. This trick gets echoed on a different expansive track that grows and contracts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.

• A waltz-like song seduces with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
• Lyrically, it shares with pop culture honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
• Across these tracks, the singing have a sharp smile, like a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."

A Maximalist Feast 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 self-absorption in favor of glorious elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its built-in excess. This is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires patience to completely explore but never seem like a chore. While other big releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet where the characters at it, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flutter between discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's most restlessly creative visionary.