On the surface, this work might appear closer to a challenging scholarly examination rather than a new pop project by a musician who just had a last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken into four different movements and sung in 13 languages, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus exploring feminine mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical change, frequently through the prism of various women saints. The end of a romance—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward here, carried by the lush presence of a full symphony orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a vast list of collaborators. The pure ambition by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem rather small.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
The fact that Lux succeeds in avoid overly intellectual posturing is almost a miracle, with sole credit belonging to the artist. While this is not her first album to alchemize the past and the present, the ambitions feel much greater here, and the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What really raises this fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, dense compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts apart, the listener still desire to be right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Joy
This playful spirit shines clearly on the stirring piano-led song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four moments. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment before a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes in with cartoonish force. The track then shifts into the wild single featuring racing strings, an imposing choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm with Lux is that you rarely quite understand—or even want to predict—where you will go next."
Almost every track finishes at a completely different place from where it began. One moment explores the transient nature of celebrity with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic cacophony. Another, a song echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic work starts out dark and brooding, featuring prowling beats, until fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to smooth the song's rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment & Accessibility
A key achievement of the album involves straddling the line between radical experimentation and mainstream accessibility. It is little coincidence that it has become her highest-charting work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. A song sung primarily in English swells on a refrain that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals skyward. This feat gets repeated by a different powerful track that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies like a complex tapestry.
- A waltz-like song seduces via its jaunty, theatrical drama and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture honesty of other heartbreak anthems, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Throughout the album, the singing have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure concealing a blade: "Gold medal in being a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux is popular music on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for high Art in an era of impending artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for glorious elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that masterfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of buried gems that requires patience to completely explore but never seem like a chore. While some major releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record offers a lavish banquet where the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flutter from discussions about historical figures, the profound feeling of soul-shattering grief, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from music's truly restlessly creative practitioner.
