At first glance, this work could seem more like a difficult scholarly examination than the latest popular music album by a musician whose last single featured a global K-pop icon. Broken into four different sections and performed in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged work that delves into female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, frequently via the lens of different women saints. The end of a love affair—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward here, carried by the lush presence of a full orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive roll call of collaborators. Its sheer daring by itself renders the efforts of contemporary artists look quite modest.
Transcending Academic Exercise
That this album manages to escape dry academic chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with sole credit belonging to the artist. While it's not the first time project to blend the past with modern styles, its scale feel much greater here, with the balancing act more dramatic. What really raises this fourth album, beyond its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk during her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking your heart apart, you still want to be alongside her for the ride.
A Prime Moment of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines clearly during a stirring piano-led song about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over several moments. Then, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top orchestral crescendo thuds down with comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in you never quite know—or even wish to predict—what you will go to next."
Almost every track ends at a totally different point than how it started. One moment explores the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate symphony only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused style starts out dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
A key balancing act on Lux is straddling the gap of radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is no coincidence that the album has achieved her first work to crack the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track sung entirely in the English language swells on a chorus that feels to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spins upward. That feat is repeated on a different expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple tunes like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully controls its own built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden gems that requires time to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. Where other major pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux is a lavish banquet at which the guests at it, perhaps intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about historical saints, the profound sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
