On the surface, this album may look more like a difficult academic quiz than the latest pop project from an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Split into four distinct sections and performed in thirteen tongues, it is a head-spinning classical-tinged work investigating feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently via the prism of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major orchestra and input from an award-winning composer within a vast list of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone makes the work of other artists seem quite small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That this album manages to transcend overly academic chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with full credit going to the artist. While it's not her first project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, the ambitions feel far higher on Lux, and the balancing act far more pronounced. What truly raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you up in its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking your heart apart, you nevertheless want to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful spirit comes forth brightly during the stunning Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy for more than four minutes. Then, everything falls away, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string surge thuds in with comedic force. The track then shifts into the frenetic single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The magic of Lux lies in you rarely exactly understand—or even want to predict—where it is going next."
Nearly each track ends at a totally different point than where it began. A track examines the fleeting trappings of fame with a delicate symphony only to disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts off dark and brooding, with prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment & Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux involves straddling the line between radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that the album has become the artist's first release to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in English builds on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins skyward. That feat gets repeated on another powerful track that grows and contracts, weaving layered melodies like an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the pop culture honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a grand level, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art amid of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires time to completely mine but never feels like hard work. While some big pop albums of the year felt like a meager scraps, this record offers a lavish feast where the characters at it, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
