On the surface, this work may look closer to an arduous scholarly examination rather than a new popular music record from a musician whose previous single was a collaboration with an international pop icon. Divided into 4 different parts and performed in 13 tongues, this is a head-spinning classical-tinged work exploring female mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, often via the prism of various women saints. The dissolution of a romance—a topic treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched upwards here, supported by the constant presence of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among an extensive roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity alone makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to escape dry academic posturing feels nearly a miracle, with full praise going to the artist. While this is not her first album to alchemize historical sounds and modern styles, its scale feel far higher here, and the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that really elevates her fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent theatricality, is a core sense of joy. Similar to the iconic artist at her peak, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener up in its whirlwind. Even when she is tearing your heart in two, the listener still desire to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful energy shines clearly during the stunning Italian ballad about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over several minutes. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a spontaneous laugh and a comment before a hilariously exaggerated orchestral surge crashes down like cartoonish force. The song immediately segues into the wild single featuring racing orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise role from none other than herself.
"The magic of this album is that you rarely exactly understand—nor want to know—where you will go to next."
Almost every track concludes at a totally different point than how it started. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity over a delicate symphony before disintegrating into digital chaos. Elsewhere, a cut that recalls her previous trap-infused work begins off moody and sinister, with menacing vocals, before sudden flamenco handclaps and an angelic chorus enter to smooth its jagged corners.
The Balance Between Art & Pop
Another crucial achievement on the album involves navigating the gap of bold innovation and broad appeal. It is little coincidence that the album has achieved her highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. One track sung entirely in the English language swells around a refrain that seems to gather more and more nagging melodies while it spins skyward. That trick is echoed by a different expansive ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- In its words, it aligns the cultural honesty of contemporary heartbreak songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "psychological terrorist".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You've the podium of letdown."
An Opulent Banquet for the Soul
This album is pop on a grand scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of impending artificial sameness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. This is a deep source of hidden treasure that takes patience to completely explore but doesn't seem like a chore. While other major releases of the year seemed like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish banquet at which the guests at it, some intoxicated on holy drink, flit between conversations about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of soul-shattering grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. It is a contemporary musical from music's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
