Coming at you with a song that’s not really new anymore but one that I’m still obsessed with. I started hearing about a UK artist called FKA twigs at the end of June following the release of a music video for a song called “Two Weeks.” Now, it took me a minute to get passed the video and actually focus on the song, on which Twigs‘ smooth and light-as-a-feather vocals hover over glitchy synth beats. The sultry electro-R&B tune recalls recent releases by both Tinashe and Jhene Aiko; a musical trend I don’t hate in the slightest, given how my love of traditional R&B is lacking these days. The video, co-directed by Nabil (Alt-J, Bon Iver, Lana Del Rey) and Tahliah Barnett (AKA FKA twigs) is a visually arresting clip that leaves the viewer completely mesmerized.
FKA twigs ethereal Egyptian-looking queen in “Two Weeks” IMMEDIATELY called to mind Aaliyah‘s Queen Akasha from Queen Of The Damned, while the imagery from the video reminded me of Kanye West‘s strange but oddly beautiful “Power” video from 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album. The video, which seems to have been filmed in all one shot, features the stunning 26-year-old sitting on some kind of throne in a temple. In front of her, tiny dancing versions of herself. Her dancing talents should come as no surprise, given the fact that the Gloucestershire-born singer/songwriter actually relocated to London to pursue a career in dance, going on to become a backup dancer for Jessie J and appearing in videos for both “Do It Like A Dude” and “Price Tag.” The name “Twigs” comes from her cracking joints when she dances while the FKA (formerly known as) was added after another artist called Twigs complained about her using the name professionally {source}.
Releasing her first EP in 2012 on Bandcamp, Twigs put out an accompanying video for each song. Her follow-up EP, called simply EP2, was released in September of 2013 via Young Turks. She was nominated for BBC’s Sound of 2014 prize in December of 2013, followed by a nod from Spotify who named her one of their spotlight artists. Billboard Magazine even named Twigs one of their “14 Artists to Watch in 2014,” giving her some much deserved attention here in the States. In April, she graced the cover of American bimonthly music magazine, The Fader, continuing her buzzy streak here in the U.S. FKA twigs is currently prepping for the release of her debut album, LP1, due August 12th on Young Turks.
Check out the video for “Two Weeks” below and download it (iTunes) before the album comes out. Also worth a look, a video that FKA twigs directed for Chicago-based rapper Lucki Eck$ for his song, “Ouch Ouch,” which she also produced.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yDP9MKVhZc]
Check out FKA twigs online:
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