Listen to the article
In an unexpected twist that solidified the year’s most celebrated musical achievement, Rosalía’s album “LUX” has claimed NPR Music’s top spot as the best album of 2025, despite only being released in early November.
The late-year release took NPR Music’s staff by surprise, rapidly transforming the landscape of their annual rankings. What made “LUX” extraordinary was the unprecedented consensus it generated among the outlet’s critics and hosts. Of the dozen contributors who submitted individual lists, more than half included the album in their top 10, with four declaring it the absolute best release of the year.
Music critic Stephen Thompson describes “LUX” as “Rosalía’s artiest and most audacious left turn,” noting its impressive scope – the Spanish artist sings in more than a dozen languages and collaborates with the London Symphony Orchestra, Björk, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. While rich in artistic complexity and cultural references to female saints, Thompson emphasizes that the album remains “frequently, boldly, at times breathtakingly beautiful – a work of craft and care, empathy and deep emotion.”
Robin Hilton highlights the album’s genre-transcending nature, comparing it to “reggaeton and bachata and Sigur Rós performing Les Misérables, with Feist and Maria Callas trading lead vocals.” Beyond its technical brilliance, Hilton frames “LUX” as a profound cultural statement arriving “near the end of a brutally divisive year of attacks on identity and ‘otherness’,” calling it “a necessary and potent reminder of the humanity that binds us.”
The album’s structure – divided into four parts exploring feminine mysticism, transformation, transcendence, and intimacy – draws parallels to jazz landmark “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane, according to Felix Contreras. He notes that both works represent deeply personal spiritual journeys by artists with “uncommon powers of musical communication,” suggesting that “LUX” continues the legacy established by Coltrane’s masterpiece.
Despite its experimental approach and global influences, Anamaria Sayre argues that “LUX” remains deeply rooted in flamenco tradition. She suggests that what appears as sonic distance actually represents Rosalía’s most authentic connection yet to flamenco’s essence: “eternal flame” that is “etched in concrete yet almost always vibrating, changing; striking palms cutting up some of the most shape-shifting, dynamic vocals on Earth.”
The album’s 18 tracks showcase remarkable diversity, from the orchestral piece “Reliquia” that transforms into an electro-pop reverie to more traditional flamenco-inspired compositions. Throughout, Rosalía explores themes ranging from religion and sexuality to mortality and violence, delivering what NPR’s critics collectively view as a comprehensive artistic statement about human experience.
This recognition caps an extraordinary year for Rosalía, whose previous work had already established her as an innovative force in global music. With “LUX,” she has created what NPR’s panel considers not just the definitive album of 2025, but potentially a landmark recording that transcends its moment, bringing together disparate musical traditions into a coherent, emotionally resonant whole.
The album joins NPR Music’s other highlighted releases in their comprehensive year-end coverage, which includes their list of the 125 best songs of 2025.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
8 Comments
It’s wonderful to see Rosalía’s innovative and ambitious album ‘LUX’ receiving such high praise and recognition from NPR Music’s critics. The description of its artistry, emotional depth, and cultural references is intriguing. I’m eager to hear this work that is being hailed as a standout musical achievement of the year.
The critical acclaim for Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ album is quite impressive, especially given its late-year release. The description of its genre-transcending nature and collaborative scope is intriguing. I’m curious to hear more about the specific elements that made it stand out as NPR Music’s top album of 2025.
It’s always exciting when a late-year release can shake up the music industry’s year-end accolades. Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ sounds like a true artistic achievement, blending classical, global, and experimental elements in a way that has clearly resonated with critics. I’m looking forward to exploring this boundary-pushing work.
Wow, it’s remarkable that Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ was able to generate such a strong critical consensus and emerge as NPR Music’s top album of the year, despite only being released in early November. The album’s ambitious scope, artistry, and emotional depth sound captivating. I’ll definitely be checking this out.
The news of Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ topping NPR Music’s 2025 album rankings is a pleasant surprise. The album’s genre-transcending nature and its impressive collaborative scope, from the London Symphony Orchestra to Björk, make it sound like a truly unique and compelling listening experience. I look forward to exploring this acclaimed release.
Kudos to Rosalía for this ambitious and acclaimed album that blends classical, global, and experimental elements. The fact that it generated such a strong critical consensus, with multiple reviewers naming it the best of the year, is really impressive. I’m eager to dive into this boundary-pushing work.
I’m intrigued by this late-year release that managed to captivate so many music critics and reshape the year-end rankings. The description of ‘LUX’ as Rosalía’s ‘artiest and most audacious left turn’ has piqued my interest. I’ll have to check it out.
Fascinating to see the unexpected rise of Rosalía’s album ‘LUX’ as the top pick for NPR Music’s album of the year. Its impressive scope and artistry across multiple languages and genres is quite remarkable. I’m curious to hear more about the critical consensus that emerged around it.