On the surface, this work may look closer to an arduous scholarly challenge than a new popular music album from an artist whose last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Split across four distinct movements and sung in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus investigating feminine mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, often via the lens of different female saints. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among a long roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the efforts of contemporary pop stars appear quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking feels almost miraculous, and complete credit going to the artist. Although this is not her first project to blend historical sounds with modern styles, the stakes are much greater here, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. What really elevates her fourth release, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Much like the iconic artist at her peak, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you up in its tornado. Even when she is breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless want to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This playful spirit shines brightly on a stirring piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, and we hear a spontaneous giggle and a declaration prior to a hilariously exaggerated string surge thuds down like comedic impact. The song then segues into the frenetic single driven by galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The magic of this album is that you rarely exactly know—or even want to know—what it will go next."
Almost every track finishes in a totally different place from how it began. A track explores the transient trappings of celebrity with a delicate symphony before collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused style begins off moody and sinister, with prowling beats, before sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic choir enter to soften the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on the album involves straddling the line of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is no surprise that it has become her highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major markets: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy pop songs. A song performed entirely in English swells around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious hooks as it spirals upward. That feat gets echoed by a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes as a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares with pop culture impact of other heartbreak songs, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, akin to a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism for glorious transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden gems that takes time to completely explore but never seem like a chore. Where some big releases of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux is a sumptuous feast at which the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on holy drink, flit between conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive practitioner.
