On the surface, this album could seem closer to a difficult scholarly quiz than the latest pop record by an artist who just had a previous single was a collaboration with a global pop icon. Broken into 4 distinct sections and performed in thirteen languages, this is a breathtaking symphonic work exploring feminine mystery, religious ascent, and bodily change, frequently through the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot skyward here, buoyed by the constant sound of a major symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. The pure daring by itself renders the efforts of other artists look rather small.
That Lux manages to escape overly academic posturing is nearly miraculous, with sole praise belonging to the artist. While this is not the first time project to blend the past with modern styles, the ambitions feel much higher here, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that truly elevates her fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Similar to the legendary artist during her peak, you find a captivating sense to RosalÃa's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she is breaking hearts apart, the listener nevertheless desire to stay alongside her for the journey.
That exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on the stirring piano-led ballad about a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, all the music falls silent, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds down like cartoonish impact. The track then shifts into the frenetic single featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from the artist Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener never exactly understand—or even wish to know—where you is going to next."
Almost each track ends at a completely distinct place from where it started. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating in digital chaos. Another, a song echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts out dark and sinister, with menacing vocals, until fluttering traditional handclaps and an angelic choir enter to smooth the song's jagged corners.
A key balancing act on Lux involves straddling the line of bold innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first release to crack the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in English builds around a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spirals skyward. That feat gets echoed by another expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of buried treasure that requires time to fully explore but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other major releases of 2025 seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a lavish banquet where the guests at it, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly creative visionary.
Eva de Vries is a passionate book lover and local writer from Eindhoven.
