At first glance, this album may look more like a challenging academic examination than the latest pop project from an artist who just had a last single was a collaboration with an international K-pop star. Divided across four different parts and sung in 13 languages, we have a breathtaking classical-tinged album that delves into female mystery, religious ascent, and corporal transformation, frequently via the prism of various female saints. The dissolution of a love affair—a theme handled with raw honesty elsewhere—soars heavenward here, supported by the lush sound of a major symphony orchestra and contributions from an award-winning composer within a vast list of collaborators. Its sheer audacity alone makes the work of contemporary artists seem rather small.
Rising Above Scholarly Exercise
The fact that Lux succeeds in transcend dry academic chin-stroking feels nothing short of miraculous, with complete credit belonging to the artist. While it's not the first time project to alchemize the past and modern styles, the scale are much higher here, with the tightrope walk more pronounced. The element that really raises this fourth release, beyond its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, proves to be a core sense of playfulness. Much like the legendary artist during her peak, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she's tearing hearts in two, the listener nevertheless desire to stay right there for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
This exuberant energy shines clearly on a stunning piano-led ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It luxuriates in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four moments. Then, everything drops away, and we hear a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a hilariously over-the-top string surge crashes in like comedic impact. The song then shifts into the wild track featuring galloping strings, an imposing choir, and a surprise appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm of Lux lies in you rarely quite understand—or even want to predict—what it will go next."
Nearly every song finishes in a totally distinct place from where it started. A track explores the fleeting nature of fame with a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating in electronic cacophony. Another, a cut that recalls her earlier trap-infused style starts off dark and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir arrive to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Between Experiment and Accessibility
A key achievement on Lux is straddling the line of radical innovation and broad appeal. It is no coincidence that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to crack the upper reaches of key charts: its heart contains a suite of utterly catchy hits. A song sung primarily in English builds on a chorus that seems to collect increasingly infectious hooks while it spins skyward. This trick is repeated on a different expansive track that expands and contracts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like number seduces via its jaunty, theatrical flair and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural impact of other heartbreak anthems, eviscerating a former partner described as an "psychological terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a sharp smile, akin to a fairy-tale character hiding a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Feast for the Ears
This album is popular music on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting an over-the-top drama that masterfully controls its built-in ridiculousness. It is a deep well of hidden gems that requires patience to completely explore but never feels like a chore. While other big pop albums of 2025 seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a lavish banquet at which the guests around it, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between conversations about historical figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking sadness, and common stories about hopeless men. In essence, it's a contemporary theatrical production from pop's truly endlessly creative visionary.
