On the surface, this work may look more like a challenging university quiz than the latest pop album by an artist who just had a last hit was a collaboration with a global pop star. Divided into 4 different movements and voiced in thirteen languages, this is a head-spinning orchestral-influenced work exploring feminine mystique, religious ascent, and physical transformation, often by way of the lens of different women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among a long roll call of contributors. The pure audacity by itself makes the work of other pop stars seem rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album manages to avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking feels nearly a miracle, with complete praise belonging to the artist. While it's not her first project to blend historical sounds and modern styles, its stakes are much greater here, with the tightrope walk far more pronounced. What really elevates this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, dense compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary Björk during her height, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, you nevertheless want to be alongside her through the ride.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy comes forth clearly during a stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls silent, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a comment prior to a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds in like comedic impact. The song then segues into the frenetic single driven by racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album is that the listener never quite know—nor want to predict—what you will go to next."
Almost each song ends in a completely distinct point than where it started. One moment examines the fleeting nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused work begins out moody and sinister, featuring menacing beats, until sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften the song's jagged edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Pop
A key achievement of Lux involves navigating the line of radical experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has become the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. A song sung entirely in the English language swells around a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies while it spins upward. This trick gets repeated by a different powerful track that grows and constricts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song charms with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture honesty of other heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the vocals carry a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale figure concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux represents pop on a grand scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art amid of impending AI-generated sameness. It rejects solipsism in favor of glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden gems that requires time to completely mine but never feels like a chore. Where some major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between discussions about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly creative visionary.
