On the surface, this album may look closer to a challenging scholarly examination rather than a new pop record from an artist whose previous hit was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Split into 4 separate parts and voiced in thirteen languages, we have a head-spinning symphonic opus investigating feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and corporal change, often through the perspective of various female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars skyward here, buoyed by the lush sound of a full symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter among a vast roll call of contributors. Its sheer ambition alone renders the work of contemporary pop stars seem quite small.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That Lux manages to escape overly academic chin-stroking feels nearly a miracle, with sole credit going to the artist. While this is not her first album to fuse the past and the present, its scale are far greater here, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. What really raises this fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, proves to be an essential spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic artist at her height, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she's breaking hearts in two, you still want to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly on the stirring piano-led ballad about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge thuds in with cartoonish force. The song immediately segues to the wild single driven by galloping orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm of this album lies in the listener rarely quite know—nor wish to know—what it is going next."
Almost each song finishes in a completely distinct place than how it started. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a cut echoing her previous rhythmic style begins off dark and brooding, with prowling beats, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement of Lux involves straddling the gap between bold innovation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that it has become the artist's first work to break into the Top 5 of key markets: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language builds around a refrain that seems to collect increasingly infectious melodies as it spins skyward. That feat is echoed by another expansive track that expands and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting an ex- lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, like a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You've the podium of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for capital-A artistry amid of looming artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption for sublime elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. It is a deep well of buried gems that requires patience to completely explore but never seem like a chore. Where some big pop albums of the year seemed like a meager meal, this record is a sumptuous feast where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy wine, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about useless men. It is a modern-day musical from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
