On the surface, this work could seem more like an arduous university quiz than a new pop record by an artist who just had a last single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Divided across four different parts and sung in thirteen languages, this is a head-spinning symphonic work investigating female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often through the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot upwards on this record, supported by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. The pure ambition by itself makes the work of other artists look rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to escape overly academic chin-stroking feels almost a miracle, with sole praise going to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to fuse the past and modern styles, the ambitions are far higher here, with the tightrope walk more precarious. What truly elevates her fourth release, beyond its complex melodies, dense arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of fun. Much like the iconic Björk during her height, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking hearts in two, you still desire to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This playful spirit shines clearly during a stunning Italian song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for several moments. Then, everything drops away, and there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top orchestral surge crashes in with comedic force. The song then shifts to the wild track featuring racing strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic of Lux lies in you rarely exactly understand—nor wish to know—what it is going to next."
Nearly each song ends at a completely different place than how it began. A track explores the transient nature of fame over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused style begins off dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, before fluttering flamenco rhythms and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Bridge Between Art & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement of Lux is navigating the gap between bold innovation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that it has achieved her highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a collection of utterly undeniable pop songs. A song performed entirely in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins upward. This trick gets repeated by a different expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number charms with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural honesty of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across the album, the singing have a sharp smile, like a storybook character concealing a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of buried treasure that takes patience to completely explore but never feels like hard work. While some major pop albums of the year felt like feasting on meal, Lux is a sumptuous banquet at which the guests around the table, some tipsy on sacred wine, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking grief, and shared stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
