Initially, this album may look closer to a challenging university examination rather than the latest pop album from an artist whose previous hit featured a global pop star. Broken into four separate movements and performed in thirteen tongues, we have a dizzying symphonic opus exploring feminine mystique, religious transcendence, and bodily change, often through the prism of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars skyward here, buoyed by the lush sound of a full orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast roll call of contributors. The pure daring alone makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look quite modest.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing is almost a miracle, and full credit going to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to fuse historical sounds and modern styles, its scale feel far higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that really raises her fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is a core spirit of playfulness. Much like the iconic Björk at her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart apart, the listener nevertheless want to be right there through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines clearly during the stirring piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, everything drops silent, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh and a comment before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down with comedic force. The track then segues to the wild track driven by racing strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic with Lux lies in you never quite understand—or even want to know—where it will go next."
Almost every track concludes in a totally different place from where it began. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style starts off dark and brooding, with menacing beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Pop
Another crucial achievement of Lux is navigating the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track sung entirely in the English language swells around a refrain that feels to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spins skyward. That trick gets repeated by another powerful ballad that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number charms via its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it shares with pop culture honesty of other breakup songs, lambasting an ex- partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album is popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime elevation, crafting a dramatic spectacle that masterfully controls its built-in excess. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that requires time to completely explore but doesn't feels like a chore. While other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish banquet where the guests at it, some intoxicated on sacred wine, flit between conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared stories about useless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's most restlessly inventive visionary.
