At first glance, Lux might appear closer to a difficult university quiz rather than the latest pop album by an artist whose previous hit featured a global K-pop icon. Broken across 4 separate sections and sung in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged opus that delves into female mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily transformation, often by way of the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a romance—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars upwards on this record, supported by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the work of other artists look rather small.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That this album manages to escape overly academic posturing is almost miraculous, and complete credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to blend historical sounds and modern styles, its ambitions feel far higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more pronounced. The element that truly raises this fourth album, outside of its multilayered melodies, dense arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Similar to the iconic Björk during her peak, there is a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener up in its tornado. When she's breaking hearts apart, the listener still desire to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines clearly during a stirring piano-led song inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over several moments. Then, all the music falls silent, and there's a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration prior to a comically exaggerated orchestral surge crashes in like cartoonish force. The track immediately shifts to the wild single featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choir, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album is that you never exactly know—or even wish to know—where you will go to next."
Almost each song finishes in a completely different point than how it began. A track examines the transient nature of fame with a featherlight symphony only to collapsing into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off moody and brooding, featuring prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Bridge Of Art & Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on Lux is navigating the line of bold experimentation and mainstream accessibility. This is little surprise that it has achieved the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language swells around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies as it spins upward. That feat is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number charms via its playful, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it shares the pop culture impact of contemporary breakup songs, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals carry a sharp edge, akin to a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have the podium of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep well of buried treasure that takes time to completely mine but never seem like hard work. Where other major releases of the year felt like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish feast at which the characters at it, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flutter from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
