At first glance, this album may look closer to a difficult scholarly quiz rather than a new popular music record by an artist whose last single featured a global K-pop icon. Split across 4 different parts and performed in thirteen languages, it is a dizzying classical-tinged opus exploring feminine mystery, spiritual ascent, and bodily change, often by way of the prism of different female saints. The end of a romance—a theme handled with grounded honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a full orchestra and input from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter among an extensive roll call of contributors. Its sheer audacity alone renders the work of other artists appear rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Pretense
That this album manages to avoid dry intellectual chin-stroking is nearly miraculous, and sole credit belonging to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to blend the past with modern styles, its ambitions are much higher here, and the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that truly raises this fourth release, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, is an essential spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary artist at her peak, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's tearing your heart in two, the listener still want to be alongside her through the journey.
A Signature Example of Exuberance
This exuberant energy shines clearly during a stunning piano-led song about a saint. It luxuriates in a sorrowful whirlpool over more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, and there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a hilariously exaggerated string crescendo crashes down like cartoonish force. The song then shifts into the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise role from none other than Björk.
"The charm with this album lies in the listener never quite know—or even want to predict—where it will go to next."
Almost each song concludes at a totally distinct point than how it started. One moment examines the transient trappings of celebrity with a delicate orchestration only to collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's previous rhythmic work begins out dark and sinister, featuring prowling beats, until sudden traditional handclaps and a heavenly choir enter to soften its rough corners.
The Bridge Between Experiment and Pop
Another crucial balancing act on the album is navigating the line between bold experimentation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has achieved her first work to crack the upper reaches of major markets: at its core a suite of truly undeniable pop songs. A song performed primarily in the English language swells on a refrain that feels to collect increasingly infectious hooks as it spins upward. That trick is echoed by another expansive ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining multiple melodies as an intricate tapestry.
- A waltz-like song charms via its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- In its words, it shares the cultural impact of contemporary breakup anthems, lambasting a former lover described as an "emotional bully".
- Throughout these tracks, the singing have a sharp edge, like a fairy-tale character hiding a blade: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of disappointment."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
This album represents pop on a maximalist scale, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming AI-generated sameness. It eschews solipsism for sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully controls its own built-in excess. It is an abundant source of buried gems that requires time to completely mine but doesn't feels like a chore. Where other big releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, this record offers a lavish feast where the characters around the table, some tipsy on holy wine, flutter between discussions about historical figures, the profound feeling of heartbreaking grief, and common stories about useless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's truly restlessly inventive visionary.
