Rosalia’s new album, ‘LUX’, has broken many records since its release on Nov. 7th. This is the singer’s fourth album and probably her best one yet. Lux combines all of her previous singing and writing styles, while also diving into a newer style of orchestral pop. Her previous works were more in the area of flamenco style with a mix of electronic beats, and even different styles of reggaeton and bachata. Lux focuses on more classical tunes while still remaining true to her roots of flamenco, a classical style of music from the south of Spain.

If you know anything about Rosalia, it is that she likes a challenge. So, the choice to completely shift to a new style of music isn’t all that surprising. The album’s title means Image Credit: Wikipedia Light in Latin, and so far we know that religion and saints were one of her main inspirations while writing this album. For instance, in the album cover, we see Rosalia dressed in a white nun’s habit, accompanied by a veil. Lux features many notable singers and choirs such as Bjork, Yves Tumor, and Carminho, just to name a few. As expected, all features of the album complement it very well musically.

However, what really shocked fans and everyone else was her decision to write and produce it in more than a dozen different languages. Rosalia’s ability to transition smoothly from English to Spanish to German and to many more languages is fascinating. She does it in such a skilled way that you can’t tell when one language ends and another begins. The whole album is a constant flow of emotion; even when you can’t understand what she says, you feel it in the song. In an interview with the New York Times, Rosalia explains that it took her a few years to truly understand what she was writing in each language and made sure it was her intentions.

The album’s lead single Berghain, set the tone for the shift in her style to a more classical vibe. The single was released along with a music video about a week before the album reached fans. As of now, the single has over 28 million views on YouTube alone, and the album itself is fighting for the top spot on the global Billboard 200. Berghain features Björk and Yves Tumor, who complement Rosalia in this gothic and classically inspired hit.

Notably, one of the tracks that stands out the most is “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti” (My Christ cries diamonds), which Rosalia sings in Sicilian from start to finish. The song itself sounds like a religious anthem from the 1960s in Italy. Rosalia explained in an interview with NPR that it took her almost a year to produce that song. Some of the other songs on the album, such as ‘Reliquia’ or ‘De Madruga’, fit very well with her style of upbeat and pop flamenco that she is known for. If you are a fan of Rosalia’s older songs with a more pop style, don’t worry, she still included a few songs that fit that style. ‘La Perla’ and ‘Dios es un Stalker’ lean into pop tunes that still match the musical artistry of the album.

That being said, as with any other album, it isn’t a style for everyone. Older fans might miss her more upbeat and pop style, while some might dislike her focus on religion. As a newer fan of Rosalia’s, I would definitely recommend you check it out because the soothing tones with the mix of so many different languages create something unprecedented.