At first glance, this work might appear more like an arduous scholarly challenge than the latest pop album by an artist whose last single featured an international pop icon. Broken across four separate sections and sung in 13 languages, it is a breathtaking classical-tinged opus exploring female mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal change, often via the lens of different female saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—is shot skyward here, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a long list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the work of contemporary artists look rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing feels nothing short of a miracle, with full credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not her first album to fuse the past with the present, the scale are much greater on Lux, with the balancing act more precarious. What really elevates this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is a core spirit of fun. Similar to the legendary artist during her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing hearts in two, the listener still desire to stay right there for the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This exuberant energy comes forth clearly during a stunning piano-led song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, all the music drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes in with comedic impact. The song then shifts into the frenetic single driven by racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album is that the listener never quite know—or even wish to predict—where it will go to next."
Almost each song concludes at a completely different point from how it started. A track explores the transient nature of celebrity over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing her earlier rhythmic style begins out dark and sinister, with prowling vocals, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to soften the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Pop
A key balancing act on Lux is straddling the line between radical experimentation and broad accessibility. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly undeniable pop songs. One track performed entirely in the English language builds on a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spirals upward. This trick gets repeated by a different expansive track that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album is popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious grasp for high artistry amid of impending artificial sameness. It rejects solipsism for glorious elevation, creating a dramatic drama that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. This is an abundant well of buried gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some big releases of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record is a lavish feast at which the guests around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit between discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about hopeless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative visionary.
