At first glance, Lux might appear closer to an arduous academic examination rather than a new popular music project by a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with a global K-pop star. Divided into four separate movements and sung in 13 tongues, we have a breathtaking orchestral-influenced opus exploring female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and bodily transformation, frequently by way of the prism of different female saints. The dissolution of a relationship—a theme treated with grounded openness on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards on this record, supported by the constant sound of a major orchestra and contributions from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within an extensive list of contributors. Its sheer ambition by itself makes the efforts of contemporary artists seem quite modest.
Rising Above Academic Pretense
That this album succeeds in transcend overly academic chin-stroking is almost miraculous, and full praise belonging to the artist. While it's not her first album to alchemize the past and the present, the stakes are much greater here, with the balancing act far more precarious. What truly elevates this fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential sense of fun. Much like the legendary artist at her peak, you find a captivating sense to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you up in its tornado. When she is tearing your heart in two, you nevertheless want to stay alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This playful energy comes forth clearly on the stirring piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four moments. Then, everything falls away, to reveal we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration prior to a hilariously over-the-top string crescendo thuds down with cartoonish force. The track immediately shifts into the wild track featuring racing strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The charm of this album is that the listener never exactly know—or even wish to know—what it will go to next."
Almost every song ends at a completely distinct place from how it began. One moment examines the transient trappings of fame over a featherlight symphony only to disintegrating in digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused style starts off moody and brooding, with menacing vocals, until fluttering traditional handclaps and a heavenly chorus arrive to soften its rough edges.
The Balance Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act of the album involves navigating the line between radical innovation and broad accessibility. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major markets: at its core a collection of utterly catchy hits. One track performed entirely in the English language builds on a refrain that seems to collect more and more infectious hooks as it spins skyward. That trick is echoed on a different expansive track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple tunes like an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song charms via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural honesty of other breakup songs, eviscerating a former partner labeled an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a storybook character concealing a blade: "Gold medal in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
Lux is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry grasp for capital-A Art in an era of looming artificial blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully manages its own built-in ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden gems that requires time to completely explore but never seem like a chore. While some big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, Lux offers a sumptuous feast where the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flutter between conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. It is a modern-day musical from music's most endlessly inventive practitioner.
