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At first glance, this album may look closer to an arduous academic challenge than the latest popular music album from a musician whose last hit was a collaboration with an international K-pop icon. Broken into 4 different movements and performed in thirteen languages, this is a dizzying symphonic opus investigating feminine mystique, religious ascent, and bodily change, frequently via the perspective of various female saints. The end of a relationship—a theme treated with grounded honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward on this record, carried by the constant presence of a major orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter among an extensive list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition by itself renders the efforts of other pop stars seem rather modest.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

That this album succeeds in transcend dry intellectual chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, with sole credit going to the artist. Although it's not her first album to blend historical sounds with modern styles, its ambitions feel much greater here, with the balancing act far more pronounced. The element that really raises her fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, is an essential sense of fun. Similar to the legendary Björk during her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps you into its whirlwind. Even when she is breaking your heart apart, the listener still want to be alongside her through the journey.

A Prime Example of Joy

That exuberant energy shines brightly on the stunning piano-led song about Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a sorrowful melancholy for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls silent, and we hear a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a comically exaggerated orchestral surge thuds down with comedic impact. The track then shifts into the wild single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.

"The magic of this album is that you never exactly know—nor wish to predict—where it is going to next."

Almost every song ends at a totally different place from how it began. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of fame over a delicate symphony only to collapsing into electronic chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's earlier rhythmic work begins out dark and sinister, with prowling vocals, until sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth its jagged corners.

The Balance Of Art and Pop

Another crucial achievement of Lux is navigating the line between bold innovation and broad appeal. This is little coincidence that the album has achieved the artist's first release to break into the Top 5 of major markets: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that seems to collect more and more nagging hooks while it spins upward. That feat gets repeated on another powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving multiple melodies like a complex tapestry.

• A dance-infused song seduces with its jaunty, Disney-adjacent flair and an anthemic hook.
• In its words, it shares with pop culture impact of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "psychological bully".
• Throughout these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character concealing a knife: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."

A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears

This album is popular music on a grand level, a hungry grasp for capital-A artistry amid of impending AI-generated sameness. It eschews self-absorption for sublime transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its inherent ridiculousness. It is an abundant source of hidden treasure that takes time to completely mine but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other major releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a lavish feast where the guests at the table, some intoxicated on sacred drink, flit between discussions about historical figures, the galvanizing sensation of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from music's most restlessly inventive practitioner.