FKA Twigs is back with a new album tying into her recent one Eusexua and I think it’s the perfect time to give her a shoutout/spotlight.
Taliah Barnett, known as the exceptionally talented FKA Twigs, was born and raised in Cheltenham. She moved to London at 17 to study at the BRIT School to become a dancer. She initially started as a backup dancer for Jessie J and Kylie Minogue before starting to make her own music. She’s well known for the avant-pop ballad “Cellophane.”
As an experimental artist, she explores and blends various genres depending on her artistic and creative whims. Throughout her albums she plays around with her production and vocal performances, transcending traditional genre classifications. She’s more known for her avant-pop and art-pop songs, but recently she has delved into more dance and electronic music with her own unique style. Twigs in the past was labelled an alternative R&B artist and pushed back when talking to the Guardian; she talked about her music and its production. “It’s got loud noises in there, the structures aren’t typical, it’s relentless. It’s like punk: F*ck alternative R&B!” She rightfully pushed back on the constraints of a genre she wasn’t actively part of at the time, because being labelled as such indirectly undermined the rich diversity of R&B as a genre.
It’s got loud noises in there, the structures aren’t typical, it’s relentless. It’s like punk: F*ck alternative R&B!
My favourite projects by FKA Twigs are her mixtape Caprisongs and her most recent album, Eusexua Afterglow. Caprisongs is a captivating mixtape spanning multiple genres like R&B, Afrobeats, dancehall, pop, hip-hop and grime. It features fabulous and creative collaborations and various messages which evoke a sense of familiarity with the narrative journey of the mixtape. I also love this mixtape because it reminds me of London so much; it features similar diverse sounds I heard growing up there, and “Darjeeling (feat. Jorja Smith & Unknown T)” is an ode to London in its own right. My favourite songs are “Tears in the club (feat. The Weeknd)” and “Papi Bones (feat. Shygirl).” Eusexua Afterglow is an addictive electro-dance record infused with Twigs’ artistic flair and feels like the rush of a fun night out with friends at the club, with my favourite songs “Love Crimes” and “Predictable Girl” fully encapsulating the dance feel for the album and offering great listening experiences for the club or wherever.
What I enjoy most about FKA Twigs as an artist is her unique production and songwriting. She is unafraid to explore sensitive subject matter and emotional vulnerability in her lyricism, like in “Cellophane,” where she explores the intense feelings of the breakup of her relationship and her own insecurities with an emotional vocal performance. She has bold and memorable choreography to accompany her songs and bring them to life; she even learnt pole dancing to bring her vision for “Cellophane” to life. Alongside her intense and occasionally vulnerable production and compositions, Twigs is an amazing performer who skilfully weaves together performances like a grand tapestry by Arachne herself.
Twigs is an amazing performer who skilfully weaves together performances like a grand tapestry by Arachne herself.
