This video and song are both incredible – the Aaliyah Queen of the Damned reference is perfect. This week can officially go down in history as the week of FKA twigs.Finally having a much deserved moment in the spotlight. Kudos to Tim Noakes for putting her on the cover of Dazed (you MUST MUST MUST read the interview)…we have another potential Lana-esque artist on our hands. Not in a sonic sense, but more in a “what you expect to not be commercial but really it is” way. FKA twigs is extremely commerically viable (more so than Lana) sonically – the beats and sparse vocals are hugely remixable – which is probably something she should be careful with, as the art aesthetic that FKA has developed over the years which has since made her the star in her own art exhibition is rather fucking beautiful and will serve her better in the long term.
It’s the reason I am sitting up at 2am writing about her.
Anyway, the video for two weeks is her Born To Die (throne included) – less death, more VFX and less strings – nonetheless a beautifully directed video by Nabil (Nicki Minaj – Lookin’ Ass Nigga) who is a director tipping into the cult mainstream.
FKA is also working with Emile Haynie (Lana, Natalia). He entire sound drips with sex. It’s pretty gripping. Emile works well with this as a palate.
Comparisons sonically include “The Weeknd’s little sister”, “the trip hop Sade”, “R&Björk”, and visually she is like a pop version of artist KESH, but a a brand, she has Lana potential, as long as she plays it right. Even the video for FKA x inc. is her subculture, darker, London edit of Blue Jeans. This isn’t shade, just proof that when a template works, it works and FKA twigs is deservedly taking a direction that is going to work for her.
LP1, the debut album from FKA twigs, will be released on 11 August (12th in the US) via Young Turks.