Coming shortly after her debut performance for the remake of “The Crow” on August 23, FKA twigs has dropped a new single, making 2024 a remarkable year for the avant-pop icon. Since her 2014 official debut record, LP1, FKA twigs has been breaking pop conventions by fusing avant-pop, electronica, hip hop and R&B, establishing a sound that is uniquely her own. Projects such as LP1, Magdalene, and Caprisongs highlight the artist as a prolific collaborator, enlisting the help of names such as Arca, Skrillex, The Weeknd, Shygirl, and Daniel Caesar. The anticipation around her new releases tend to revolve around her collaborations, but it’s her emotional depth and soft vocals that contribute the most to her enduring success, as seen in acclaimed track “cellophane.”
The announcement of FKA twigs’ new project EUSEXUA was met with excitement from fans and critics alike. Set to release in January 2025, anticipation remains high among listeners, largely due to the consistency and success of her previous work. Her last release in 2022 with Caprisongs was a sublime fusion of her trademark avant-pop and electronica sounds with a focus on R&B, which resulted in a more accessible sound l containing an experimental edge to it. Comparatively, the new single titled “Eusexua” seems to be going in a new direction of avant-pop techno bangers.
The track begins with a minimalist beat as plucky synthesizers, joined by FKA twigs’ angelic, feathery vocals. The song immediately captures listeners with just these bare bones elements, producing a sound that is simultaneously mysterious and entrancing. The lyrics ask “Wonder how you feel” and “Do you feel alone? / You’re not alone,” lending the track an intimate quality that FKA twigs excels at, while still appealing to a broader pop audience. The emptiness of the first half creates an isolating experience, even as the lyrics offer reassurance. Siren-like vocals weave through the chorus along with piano chords and glitchy sounds reminiscent of clattering dishware. Towards the end of the song, the bass becomes more prominent with a low, sweeping sound; introducing listeners to a new element of allure.
Around the two minute point, the melody of the track and FKA twigs’ vocalizations merge to create a beautiful moment, right before transitioning into a fully-realized techno banger at the 2:45 mark. The beat becomes much more pronounced with the synthesizers and high hats joining to create a dark club sound that is as beautiful as it is hard-hitting. The clarity of mixing and production in FKA twigs’ work is always a delight, and this single is no exception.It feels as though she’s distilled the essence of Bjork’s Vespertine-era through a techno club lens, resulting in something distinctly her own.
As FKA twigs sings about how “People always told me that I take my love too far / Then refused to help me,” the last 45 seconds of the song are stripped down to a keyboard melody and a lone beeping synthesizer note.The song concludes with her restating the title as the bitcrushed synthesizers sweep in, creating a poignant ending. Even within a club-oriented aesthetic, the sense of intimacy remains potent and highlights a central theme in this already exceptional track about loneliness, heartbreak, and the reassurance found in shared experiences.
With this new single, FKA twigs has already attracted a significant amount of buzz surrounding her upcoming release, however distant it may be. The track expertly balances feelings of euphoria, intimacy and beauty all amidst a sound that wouldn’t feel out of place in a dark, sparse club late at night by yourself. FKA twigs has already provided a number of definitions as for what the term “eusexua” means, both literally and for the new sound she’s crafted for this project. A moment of euphoric bliss, the feeling of getting lost in dance, the comfort and pleasure of intimacy,. All of which she manages to encapsulate in a captivating way on this single.
Eusexua is set to release on January 25th, 2025.
