Initially, Lux might appear closer to a difficult university quiz rather than a new popular music record by an artist who just had a previous hit was a collaboration with a global pop star. Divided into four different parts and sung in thirteen tongues, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged opus exploring female mystique, religious transcendence, and physical change, often by way of the lens of various female saints. The end of a relationship—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive roll call of contributors. The pure daring alone renders the efforts of contemporary artists seem quite modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing feels nearly a miracle, with complete credit going to the artist. While it's not the first time album to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its scale are far greater here, with the balancing act far more dramatic. What really raises her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, is an essential sense of fun. Similar to the iconic artist during her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls you up in its tornado. When she is tearing hearts apart, the listener nevertheless want to stay alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That playful spirit shines brightly on the stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy over several moments. Suddenly, everything falls away, and there's a spontaneous giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds down with comedic impact. The song then segues to the wild single featuring racing strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of this album is that the listener never quite know—or even wish to know—where you will go next."
Nearly every track concludes at a completely different point from how it started. One moment explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing in digital cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls her previous rhythmic style begins out dark and sinister, with menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's jagged edges.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
A key balancing act of the album is straddling the line of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that the album has become her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy hits. A song sung primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spins upward. That trick is echoed on a different powerful ballad that grows and constricts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with pop culture impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, like a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for sublime elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden treasure that takes time to fully explore but never feels like a chore. Where other big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a sumptuous feast at which the characters at the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about ancient saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
