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At first glance, Lux might appear more like a difficult university quiz rather than the latest pop album from a musician whose last single featured an international K-pop star. Split into four distinct parts and voiced in 13 tongues, it is a dizzying orchestral-influenced work that delves into feminine mystique, spiritual ascent, and physical transformation, often by way of the perspective of different female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a topic handled with raw openness elsewhere—is shot heavenward on this record, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer within a long list of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the efforts of other artists look rather small.

Rising Above Academic Pretense

The fact that this album manages to avoid overly intellectual chin-stroking is nothing short of miraculous, with sole praise going to the artist. While this is not her first project to fuse the past with modern styles, the stakes feel far greater on Lux, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. What really elevates this fourth release, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained theatricality, proves to be an essential sense of joy. Similar to the iconic Björk at her height, you find a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts apart, you still desire to stay right there through the journey.

A Signature Moment of Joy

This exuberant spirit comes forth brightly on the stirring piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful melancholy for several minutes. Then, all the music falls away, to reveal there's a gleeful giggle and a comment before a comically over-the-top string surge crashes in with comedic force. The song immediately segues to the wild track driven by galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a cameo appearance from none other than Björk.

"The charm with this album is that the listener never exactly know—nor wish to know—where you will go next."

Nearly each song finishes in a completely different place than how it started. A track examines the transient nature of fame with a delicate symphony before disintegrating in digital chaos. Elsewhere, a song echoing the artist's earlier trap-infused work starts out dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic choir enter to smooth its rough edges.

The Bridge Between Art & Pop

Another crucial achievement on Lux involves navigating the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. This is little surprise that the album has achieved her highest-charting work to break into the Top 5 of major charts: at its core a collection of utterly undeniable hits. One track performed primarily in the English language builds on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins upward. That trick gets echoed by a different powerful track that grows and constricts, weaving multiple tunes as an intricate weave.

• A waltz-like song charms with its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
• Lyrically, it aligns the cultural honesty of contemporary breakup songs, lambasting a former lover labeled an "emotional terrorist".
• Across these tracks, the vocals have a sharp smile, like a storybook figure concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of disappointment."

A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul

Lux is pop on a maximalist level, an ambitious reach for capital-A Art amid of impending artificial sameness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully manages its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden gems that takes patience to fully mine but never feels like hard work. While other big pop albums of the year seemed like feasting on meal, this record is a sumptuous banquet at which the characters around the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred drink, flit from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.