FKA Twigs voice is so celestial
Her hypnosis like music, intricate contemporary dance, and mysterious exterior targets a more diverse audience.
Her combining her bellyaching fragile cry voice with her range creates an output that is a complete delight to the ears, to be honest. Years of classical training paired with heavy beats from electronic music, industrial, and the futuristic side of R&B and melodies are the product that makes this musician very unique.
Tahliah Debrett Barnett, English singer-songwriter, record producer, and dancer. She debuted at the age of 22 with her extended play EP1 in 2012 following her 2013 EP2 in 2013. Later on, in 2014 she released her debut studio album LP1, the album which got critical acclaims peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums chart and extended her to charting number 30 on the US Billboard 200. She got positive feedback and popular buzz for her journey and career, Twigs took a break shortly due to health issues as she stated at the start of that year.
Albums
Her latest studio album Magdalene released in 2019 is essentially about a woman named Mary Magdalene, she talks about the backstory to The New York Times saying,
“The original story is that she was a prostitute, and she was filled with sin. But then it came out that she had a really amazing and extensive knowledge on oils, and she was a healer, and she was in many ways what we call a doctor now. I think that duality really excited me. That is my archetype.”
She continues by saying,
“Mary Magdalene helped me ground myself in who I am.”
She describes this album as her favorite of them all in her post and also explains the process,
my dearest MAGDALENE you beautiful, stoic, ephemeral beast. at times i howled at you to present yourself to me and it was at those times you evaded me. left me in the cold, dead at night, face down in my wet pillow… i love you the most so i will let you go. now to find my reflection again…”
She has put out 2 studio albums, Magdalene and LP1, as well as 3 extended plays, EP1, EP2, and M3LL155X.
I adore her EP2 and LP1 albums as they contain my favorite songs.
Songs
Cellophane
This mv has inspired artists like Lil Nas X for his mv for Montero(Call Me By Your Name). He added by saying,
“The ‘cellophane’ visual is a masterpiece. I was not aware that the visual would serve as inspiration for those who worked on the effects of my video.”
In the mv, she does a lyrical pole dancing routine, pulling off complicated spins and inverted holds. When she is gradually climbing to the top pole she encounters a peculiar-looking bird, and when she kicks the bird it leads her to an earthy underworld. It’s a mashup of the Icarus myth and the Phoenix myth: twigs’ fall and her rebirth.
Papi Pacify
The song is about her longing for clarification from her lover whose commitment may not be built on a foundation as solid and stable as hers, unafraid of the fallout because she just can’t go on any longer without knowing. She would rather be with him and his lies than have to split up. Although the music meaning maybe a little heartbreaking the music electropop has a chill vibe with ongoing rough beats.
Hide
Rhythmic electronic drum beats in the background are just so calm at the start but as the song progresses the intensity discreetly increases and lastly it slowly fades away. And the song is just so pretty, in this video, she performs it live which tells a lot about her artistry at own. Her crystal clear vocals are the key features that makes this song more special.
Two Weeks
Last but not least, the first song I heard from her is Two Weeks her voice intended to be soft but there is a layer of aggressiveness that is clearly trying to point out the motive of the song which is “Sexual Confidence” that brings out a more seductive side. This and Hide are my favorites.
She has a profound and distinctive vocality and musicality and an overall sound to her. Her ethereal aesthetic, groundbreaking performances, and blends of R&B and art-pop, undoubtedly makes me anticipate and wait for her upcoming album. She announced that the album will feature many diverse collaborations with Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, British hip-hop up-and-comer Pa Salieu, as well as Dua Lipa. The“genre-bending” artist's latest single “Don’t Judge Me”, featuring North London rapper Headie One and producer Fred again was released on 26th January, go check it out to get a glimpse of the album.
