Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ ambitiously bends genres to defy traditional pop standards
Our columnist says “LUX,” Rosalía’s new album, expands the definition of pop. It combines orchestral pieces with flamenco and mechanical sounds. Maria Masek | Contributing Illustrator
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In 2022, Rosalía’s “MOTOMAMI” disrupted the music scene, bridging pop, flamenco, bachata and hip-hop. Three years later, after a stretch of near silence, her recent album, “LUX,” feels like the long-awaited aftershock.
“LUX” demands patience, but it rewards you with Rosalía’s best music yet. Singing in 13 languages and drawing inspiration from the stories of female saints, “LUX” is an album that’s best understood all at once. Every instrument, chord change and lyric is a testament to Rosalía’s decade of classical training.
“The best fiction has a blurry line between what is personal and universal, what’s detailed and what’s abstract,” Rosalía told Zane Lowe, and she masters that blurry line in this album.
The album moves like a story. It’s structured, devotional and full of contrast. While “MOTOMAMI” thrived on chaos and jarring musicality (in the best way), “LUX” feels like an act of surrender and another transformation for Rosalía.
It’s slower, more reflective and charged with near-religious intensity. What emerges isn’t just pop or flamenco — it’s something entirely genre-bending while remaining true to Rosalía’s past artistry. In an era when so much pop is engineered for algorithmic success and instant gratification, “LUX” defies the traditional playbook.
Recorded under conductor Daníel Bjarnason and backed by the London Symphony Orchestra, the album plays unlike anything on the radio, with its layered sounds and intricate production. Rosalía leans into the past, both tonally and lyrically. She does this by continuously drawing on mythical and religious imagery; each language’s lyrics correspond to the story of a different female saint.
It’s a project as globally inclusive as it is intensely personal: It features an international cast of collaborators — from Icelandic artist Björk to Portuguese fado singer Carminho, Mexican American trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia and flamenco singer Estrella Morente.
In concept and execution, “LUX” is Rosalía’s most ambitious project yet, impressively capturing her Spanish roots and newfound spiritual imagery with a worldwide palette of sounds. At its core, the album is very much a passion project reflecting Rosalía’s relationship with the world and her views on how religion, love and individuality connect her to her surroundings.
The opening track and lead single, “Berghain,” sets the tone for the album. It’s not a club track like the name might suggest, but a three-minute orchestral piece sung in English, German and Spanish, that feels closer to a requiem than a rave.
It begins with a wall of strings and ends with Björk and Yves Tumor, who both embrace the track with their own personal styles. The result is psychedelic, a little disorientating and an unexpected way to begin a pop album, which is exactly why it works.
The song “La Perla” brings the drama back to earth. Over flamenco handclaps and waltzing strings, Rosalía sings with the same heat she’s always carried, only sharper.
As Rosalía’s voice trembles between rage and grace, “La Perla” feels like an argument and a prayer all at once. It feels like classic Rosalía and is reminiscent of her second album and graduate thesis, “El Mal Querer.”
“Reliquia,” my favourite song on the album, slows everything down. The title translates to “relic,” and the song feels like one. It’s glowing and fragile.
She sings again in Spanish, “Coge un trozo de mí / quédatelo pa’ cuando no esté / Seré tu reliquia,” which translates to English as “Take a piece of me, keep it for when I’m gone, I’ll be your relic.”
Rosalía’s voice is barely there; it floats over strings, blending in with instruments. It’s the most intimate moment on “LUX,” and leaves a lasting impression. “Reliquia” confirmed to me that “LUX” is a project like no other and that Rosalía is a master of blending multiple genres.
Then there’s “Novia Robot,” a physical vinyl release and Rosalía’s strangest and funniest turn. In this track, she embodies a mechanical bride by singing in a warped, digitized tone. Rosalía sings in Chinese on this track, translating to “A robot girlfriend / Is what you want today / I’m sorry, my dear / But I’m real.”
It’s a surprising moment, but it works. It’s soft, strange and moving. Hearing Rosalía switch languages feels like she’s trying to reach you from another world, like technology and emotion are finally speaking the same language. It’s one of those moments that catches you off guard and stays with you.
By the end of “LUX,” it’s clear Rosalía isn’t chasing hits — she’s chasing meaning. The album feels less like a collection of songs and more like a spiritual exercise. It’s demanding, emotional and sometimes disorienting, but that’s what makes it brilliant.
“LUX” is Rosalía’s rebirth. It’s her reminder that pop doesn’t have to be easy to be divine.
