On 'Lux,' Rosalía pulls the entire world into her symphony

On 'Lux,' Rosalía Pulls the Entire World into Her Symphony

The Spanish singer Rosalía discusses her new album Lux, an ambitious and expansive work blending classical music, opera, and vocals in 13 languages.

Her aim with Lux is to balance “to just enjoy” music with “music that challenges you.”

Rosalía's artistic evolution is marked by constant transformation, always pushing boundaries faster than many of her contemporaries. She first gained international recognition with a groundbreaking electronic flamenco style on her 2018 album El Mal Querer.

In 2022, with the release of Motomami, her sound became overtly global, merging reggaeton, old school hip-hop, and bachata, while preserving flamenco’s distinctive rhythms and raw vocals. Motomami won Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys.

For her new album Lux, released November 7, Rosalía revisits classical roots through symphonic and operatic influences. The album was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and delivers a maximalist experience, resembling a dramatic score for a powerful, epic film.

Rosalía isn't singing on top of the symphony but rather in tandem with it.

Author's summary: Rosalía's Lux masterfully fuses global musical traditions with classical grandeur, reaffirming her role as an innovative, boundary-defying artist.

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NPR NPR — 2025-11-03

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