On the surface, this album might appear more like a difficult university examination rather than a new pop album by a musician who just had a previous single featured an international K-pop icon. Split into 4 distinct sections and performed in 13 tongues, this is a dizzying classical-tinged work that delves into female mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often through the lens of different female saints. The end of a relationship—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched skyward here, supported by the lush presence of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive list of contributors. The pure daring alone makes the efforts of other artists seem rather laughable.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux succeeds in escape dry intellectual chin-stroking is almost miraculous, with sole praise going to the artist. While this is not her first project to blend historical sounds and the present, the ambitions are far greater on Lux, with the balancing act far more precarious. What truly raises this fourth release, beyond its complex tunes, rich compositions, and inherent drama, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary artist during her peak, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps you into its tornado. When she's breaking hearts apart, the listener still want to stay right there through the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This playful spirit shines brightly on the stunning piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool over several minutes. Then, all the music falls away, and there's a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes down like comedic force. The track immediately shifts to the wild single featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The magic with Lux lies in the listener rarely quite know—or even wish to know—where you will go to next."
Nearly every song finishes at a completely different point than how it started. A track explores the transient trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration only to disintegrating in digital cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work begins out dark and sinister, featuring prowling vocals, until fluttering traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to soften its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
A key balancing act on Lux is straddling the gap of bold experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that the album has achieved her highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to gather more and more infectious melodies while it spins skyward. This feat gets repeated by another expansive ballad that grows and constricts, weaving multiple melodies as a complex weave.
- A waltz-like number charms via its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural honesty of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former lover described as an "psychological bully".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, like a storybook figure hiding a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux represents popular music on a grand level, an ambitious grasp for high Art in an era of impending artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption for glorious elevation, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant well of hidden gems that requires patience to fully mine but doesn't feels like a chore. Where some big releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around it, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter from conversations about historical figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and shared stories about hopeless men. It is a contemporary theatrical production from pop's most restlessly creative practitioner.
