Initially, this album may look closer to a challenging academic challenge than a new pop album from a musician who just had a previous single featured a global pop star. Broken across 4 distinct movements and voiced in 13 languages, we have a dizzying symphonic work that delves into female mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, frequently through the perspective of different saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, carried by the constant presence of a full orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer among an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer daring alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists look quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux manages to transcend overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, with sole praise belonging to the artist. While this is not her first project to blend the past with modern styles, its ambitions are far greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that truly raises this fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the legendary Björk at her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she's tearing your heart in two, the listener nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This playful energy shines brightly during a stirring Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several minutes. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds down like comedic impact. The track immediately segues into the frenetic single featuring galloping strings, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from the artist herself.
"The magic with this album lies in the listener never exactly know—or even want to know—what you will go next."
Nearly each track ends in a totally distinct place than how it began. A track examines the transient trappings of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration before collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work begins off dark and brooding, featuring menacing beats, before fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Of Experiment & Accessibility
A key achievement of the album involves navigating the gap between bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a collection of truly undeniable hits. A song performed entirely in English swells around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks while it spins skyward. That feat is repeated by a different powerful ballad that expands and constricts, intertwining layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns with cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You have the podium of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux represents pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of buried treasure that takes time to completely mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year felt like feasting on scraps, this record is a lavish feast at which the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit from discussions about historical saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and shared gossip about useless partners. It is a modern-day musical from pop's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
