Rolling Stone Brasil heard first-hand the Catalan’s fourth album, which comes out next Friday, the 7th, and guarantees that she delivers an operatic masterpiece that redefines what it means to be a pop star — and is absurdly brilliant
There are moments in the history of pop music when an artist decides to completely abandon the map and chart new territory. Rosalía Vila Tobella had already done this before, when he transformed flamenco into something contemporary with El Mal Querer (2018), when he reimagined reggaeton and Caribbean traditions in Motomami. But with Luxher fourth studio album, the Catalan isn’t just redrawing borders: she’s building an entire cathedral from scratch, stone by stone, note by note, language by language. And what a cathedral!
Lux — which means “light” in Latin — is a radically different project, more ambitious than Motomami and infinitely more risky. Where Motomami horizontal era, expanding across the world in reggaeton beats and urban experimentations, Lux it is vertical: a spiritual ascension, a search for the divine through music. And if anyone expects to hear a hint of Motomamiwe can now say: there is NOTHING like it.
The album has 18 tracks divided into four movements — as in classical music, each with its own structure, character and tempo. In streaming, there will be access to 15 of them; three (“Focu ‘ranni“, “Jeanne” and “Novia Robot“) will be exclusive to the physical version. A shame, because “Focu ‘ranni” is a song about not getting married (hmmm, sounds familiar), while “Novia Robot” is a humorous track that talks about feminism and even makes reference to Labubu in rhyme.
Perhaps the most audacious (and frankly insane) aspect of Lux be the fact that Rosalía sing in 13 different languages: Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, English, Japanese, Latin, German, Italian, Hebrew, Chinese, Ukrainian, Arabic and French. They’re not just single words, they’re entire verses, complex melodies, perfect pronunciations that she mastered after a year dedicated exclusively to lyrics. It’s something so ambitious that it borders on the absurd. And that’s exactly why it works so brilliantly.
Your voice has never been so divine. Almost angelic, Rosalía reaches operatic tones perfectly, navigating between intimate whispering and lyrical singing with disconcerting mastery. This is, without a doubt, the most impressive vocal work of her career — and perhaps the most impressive any pop star has done in decades.
Recorded with London Symphony Orchestra under the regency of Daniel Bjarnason, Lux It is sublime in its grandeur. The first movement is the most orchestral, with intense strings that envelop like a divine embrace — this atmosphere remains until “Berghain”first track of the second movement and first single from the album. The orchestra is sublime and, at the same time, takes on some new twists in the music with beats and distortions, bringing modernity to the sound. It’s as if Bach was played in a club in Berlin at 4am. And it works in a frightening way, so perfectly that the question arises: why didn’t anyone think of this before?
The production is so meticulous, so absurdly well constructed, that each listen reveals new layers. It’s a dramatic album that demands attention — and here’s an important tip: listen to this album with good sound equipment, good headphones, because it deserves you to hear every little detail, every distortion, every percussion, violin. This is not an album to listen to on shuffle while washing the dishes. It’s an immersive experience that rewards undivided attention, and when that happens, the experience is transcendental.
This is how Rosalía manages to bring young people closer to themes of faith without sounding pamphleteer or dated. She sings about divine themes, but with hints of modernity. Lux It’s an album about loving God and it’s also a more introspective album, tracing an emotional arc that moves between intimacy and operatic scale to create a radiant world in which sound, language and culture merge into one expression.
Rosalía it re-educates us sonically: it brought us closer to flamenco, it found new ways to make pop, but now it teaches us how to listen to opera, orchestra, and proves that there is no formula for making a good album, because it breaks paradigms and brings something never seen before. It’s like when she did the live show Motomami in vertical format TikTok upon release and carried this element into the live shows. And this raises a very big question: what will the next shows be like?
The album features collaborations that make perfect sense within the proposal: Bjork (Of course), Yves Tumor, Carminho, Star Morente, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Montserrat School, Color of Cambra from the Palau de la Música Catalana and Yahritza. Each of these voices adds layers of meaning and beauty to the project.
Beneath all the operatic theatricality, Lux it is also deeply personal. Some songs make clear reference to a relationship that didn’t work out and the phases of pain, conformity, the search for something greater and finally overcoming. Could she be referring to her ex-fiance? Rauw Alejandro? The subtext suggests yes.
“La Perla” has a sound reminiscent of a circus (not by chance) in a track that mentions an ex-relationship in which she sees that the person was “a monument to dishonesty” and a “walking red flag”. Already “Sauvignon Blanc” is about drowning your sorrows and getting over a breakup. “Dios Es Un Stalker” (best name), she mixes a little Latin rhythms with flamenco. “Memory” is a song in Portuguese from Portugal that features Carminho and it is heartbreakingly delicate. In “Relics”she mentions several cities around the world — unfortunately, none in Brazil. And “Magnolias” closes the album so beautifully that it’s impossible not to get emotional.
Yes, Lux It’s a dramatic album. It’s introspective. Maybe people miss more danceable tracks, but Lux carries a dance in the soul, that kind of internal movement that makes you close your eyes and nod your head even when you’re alone in the room.
Rosalía Here he traces an ambitious emotional arc that defies any logic of the contemporary music industry. Is it pop? Is it classic? Is it avant-garde? It’s all of that and none of that at the same time. Lux It’s not just a record, it’s a statement of intent. AND Rosalía saying, “I can do whatever I want, and you will follow me.” And the truth is, yes, we will. Because when an artist has enough courage to build a cathedral where no one expected it, the only thing left is to go in, get on your knees and give thanks for the light she brought.
Lux is, quite simply, one of the boldest and most extraordinary albums made by any pop artist in recent history. An album made without ready-made formulas, which will redefine conversations about music for years to come.
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Lux hits streaming services next Friday, November 7th, via Sony Music, with a physical version containing three exclusive tracks.
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Source: Rollingstone
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
