Music Review: FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs' new album, "Magdalene." (Young Turks/Amazon/TNS)
FKA Twigs' new album, "Magdalene." (Young Turks/Amazon/TNS)

Magdalene is the first album by the British singer-producer-choreographer since her 2014 full-length debut "LP1." It's a significant leap forward for the artist born Tahliah Barnett, who acquired her Twigs stage name from the sound her cracking joints made as she started in the music industry as a dancer in the early '00s.

Twigs attained a level of celebrity during her relationship with "Twilight" vampire Robert Pattinson, which ended in 2017, and in many ways, Magdalene is shaped by that personal drama. Its lead single, "Cellophane" - accompanied by a video showing off Twigs' acrobatic pole-dancing skills - is a stark, graceful song about being unable to escape prying eyes ("They're waiting, they're watching"). It could apply to predatory paparazzi, or the lack of privacy that's comes with the 24/7 connectivity of daily life.

Magdalene is about rebuilding after heartache and finding independent strength. Twigs, who was raised Catholic, pulls from the New Testament story of Jesus' companion, celebrating her as a feminist hero in "Mary Magdalene." That song starts off with a nod to Kate Bush, clearly a model for the songwriter as she explores faith and desire while moving between ethereal atmospherics and harder-edged sounds that are in sync with the physicality on display in her videos.

Magdalene draws from electronic music and hip-hop - Atlanta rapper Future is a guest on "Holy Terrain," produced with Jack Antonoff and Skrillex. But Twigs uses those elements to make art-pop that tells a personal story, proudly going its own way. 

Upcoming Events