Initially, this work might appear more like an arduous academic quiz than a new pop project by an artist who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Broken across 4 separate sections and sung in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying classical-tinged album exploring female mystique, religious transcendence, and corporal change, often via the perspective of different saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a theme treated with raw openness elsewhere—is shot upwards here, carried by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of collaborators. The pure daring by itself renders the work of contemporary pop stars look quite small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That this album succeeds in escape dry academic posturing feels nearly a miracle, and sole praise going to the artist. While it's not her first project to blend historical sounds with modern styles, the stakes are much greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk more precarious. What really raises her fourth release, outside of its complex tunes, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is an essential sense of joy. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls you into its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing hearts in two, you still desire to be right there through the journey.
A Signature Example of Joy
That exuberant spirit shines brightly during a stirring Italian song about a saint. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy for several minutes. Then, everything drops away, and we hear a spontaneous laugh and a comment prior to a comically exaggerated string crescendo thuds down with comedic impact. The track then shifts into the frenetic track featuring galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a cameo role from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux is that you rarely exactly know—or even want to know—what you will go next."
Almost every song finishes at a totally distinct point than how it began. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a song that recalls her previous trap-infused style starts off moody and sinister, with menacing vocals, before fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Pop
A key achievement of Lux involves straddling the line between bold innovation and mainstream accessibility. This is no coincidence that it has achieved the artist's first release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of truly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in English swells on a refrain that feels to gather more and more nagging melodies as it spirals skyward. This feat gets repeated by another expansive track that grows and constricts, intertwining multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its playful, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture impact of contemporary heartbreak anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a sharp smile, like a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
Lux is pop on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for capital-A Art in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic spectacle that skillfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden gems that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't feels like hard work. While other major releases of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast at which the characters around it, some intoxicated on holy wine, flit from discussions about ancient figures, the profound sensation of soul-shattering grief, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary theatrical production from music's most endlessly creative practitioner.
