Initially, Lux might appear closer to an arduous university quiz rather than the latest popular music record from an artist who just had a previous hit featured an international K-pop star. Divided into 4 different sections and voiced in 13 languages, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus that delves into feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, frequently by way of the perspective of different women saints. The end of a relationship—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, supported by the constant presence of a full orchestra and work from an award-winning composer within a vast roll call of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone makes the work of other artists seem rather laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
The fact that this album manages to avoid dry intellectual posturing is nothing short of a miracle, with sole praise belonging to the artist. Although it's not the first time project to fuse the past with the present, its scale feel much greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk more precarious. What really elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, dense arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core spirit of playfulness. Similar to the legendary artist during her height, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener up in its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts in two, you nevertheless want to stay right there for the ride.
A Signature Example of Joy
This exuberant spirit comes forth clearly on the stunning Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool over several minutes. Then, everything drops away, to reveal we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a comment prior to a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes in with comedic impact. The track then segues into the frenetic track driven by galloping strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo role from the artist herself.
"The charm of Lux lies in the listener rarely exactly understand—nor wish to predict—where you will go next."
Almost each song ends in a totally different point from where it started. A track explores the fleeting nature of fame with a delicate orchestration only to disintegrating in electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic style starts out dark and brooding, with menacing beats, until sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly choir enter to soften its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art and Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux involves navigating the line between radical innovation and mainstream accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has become her first release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a collection of utterly catchy pop songs. A song performed primarily in English swells on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks while it spins upward. That trick is echoed by a different expansive track that expands and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies like an intricate weave.
- A dance-infused number seduces with its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural honesty of other breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the vocals have a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
Lux is popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry in an era of looming artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious transcendence, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of buried gems that requires patience to fully explore but never seem like a chore. Where some major releases of the year felt like a meager meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on holy drink, flit from conversations about historical saints, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from pop's most restlessly inventive practitioner.
