FKA Twigs—according to me—is a force of nature. Her name should be synonymous with blending sonic landscapes and visual artistry into a seamless, captivating tapestry. And even as I struggle to navigate the ever-shifting sands of trends, wade through a sea of look-alikes and sound-the-sames, Twigs stands out as a beacon of originality, her creative alchemy drawing me into a world where art, music, and personal narrative intersect. As a bonafide master of reinvention and artistic bravado, and a natural, zero-f*cks aura, Twigs reigns supreme as the enigmatic alien it-girl we all need right now.
The multifaceted, multi-hyphanate Twigs has always navigated the pop landscape on her own terms, blending genres from opposite ends of the spectrum—like opera and R&B—to create her own unique sound. Without wavering, she's pushed the limits of her physicality in every possible way. For her second album, Magdalene (2019), she not only mastered the ancient art of wushu sword fighting but also soared to celestial heights on a stripper pole in the viral video for “Cellophane.” Her performance style is fluid, characterized by her ability to transform from one exquisitely dressed persona to another. Like icons before her, Twigs is an iconoclast with an imagination so expansive it seems almost boundless. And with her third album set to release this year and a leading role in Rupert Sanders’s reimagining of the ’90s gothic revenge thriller The Crow—in theaters as I write this—Twigs continues to demonstrate an audacious commitment to pushing boundaries.
Creative to her core, Twigs—according to her—has never really been concerned with looking attractive—evident in her Birds of Paradise-inspired rainbow feather maxi dress or her dinosaur claw manicure, or her, um, chainmail. She's just that girl: the kind who wears whatever she wants whenever she wants, celestial or corporeal, no occasion necessary, reflecting an unrestrained admiration of form, texture, and symbolism. Her style isn't about the clothes but about creating an immersive experience, embracing fluidity, and encouraging a broader understanding of beauty and identity. This fearless approach is not only refreshing but profoundly influential, inspiring a new generation to embrace fashion not only as a tool for personal expression but as a method of liberation.
Oh So Wretched, Wretched, Wretched, Wretched.
Unfortunately, no matter how deep she's delved into the depths of her own creativity, the chaos of the real world is often inescapable. And the mental, physical and emotional challenges she’s had to contend with in her personal life are no secret. During her three-year relationship with breakout Twilight star Robert Pattinson, she faced a torrent of racist vitriol from fans, a psychological burden compounded by the pain of uterine fibroids, a condition that disproportionately affects Black women. Then in 2021, she stepped forward with a deeply gut-wrenching revelation: in a lawsuit filed against actor Shia LaBeouf, her former partner, she accused him of sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress, citing “relentless abuse”. In return, LaBeouf denied the claims (but admitted to "being ashamed of his history of hurting people close to him"). After being postponed twice, the trial is now tentatively scheduled to take place this October.
What's impressive is that she's always been candid about her ongoing journey of self-discovery and healing, reflected in how these experiences fuel her creativity. It's a reminder that behind the high-fashion façade and avant-garde visuals lies a profound narrative of resilience and growth. And it’s not just her own indomitable strength she's rousing. Away from the spotlight, Twigs is pursuing projects that expand her extensive community work. Most recently, she’s joined forces with Sistah Space, the UK's first refuge to provide specialist support for women of African and Caribbean descent experiencing domestic violence. The charity has become a leading voice in the fight to bridge the gap in domestic abuse services for Black women and girls. Their vital work has even resulted in the creation of Valerie's Law, a campaign that advocates for mandatory cultural competency training for police officers and government agencies in hopes to better protect and support Black women facing abuse.. We stan.
Throw It in the Fire, Ego in the Fire.
Present-day Twigs describes her current state of being as “eusexua,” (also the title of her new song) a word she made up to describe the feeling you get when you lose yourself to something you enjoy doing, whether it’s dancing or a passion project. Or, as she puts it "that moment before an orgasm: pure nothingness but also pure focus [...] You’re not human anymore, you’re just a feeling." Something I deeply relate to as I'm currently penning several articles for my little blog at 3am despite having a day job.
Though her siren-like vocals and empyrean robes may suggest otherwise, FKA Twigs isn't some untouchable demigoddess. Although, you’d be forgiven for thinking that. In reality, through high notes and low notes, true love and tabloid headlines, the ballad of FKA twigs is a modern pop triumph. She exists under the ethos of intensity, beauty, sexuality, freak, and of course authenticity. But for Twigs authenticity doesn't solely exist in the stripped down, make up free, acoustic variety. It can exist in a cryo chamber alongside bejeweled hip-hop robots, or a martial arts monastery surrounded by enchanted thorns. It can be bare and raw or historically theatrically camp. It's about always marching to the beat of your own drum, even if that drum has strings. All that matters is that you, and you alone, are proud of how and who you show up as.
As I watch footage of Twigs at the New York premiere of The Crow wearing a galactic headpiece and a black vintage Armani dress that gives the impression she’s slipped into the inky slick skin of her movie’s titular bird, her anthem "Don't Judge Me" blaring in my ears, I feel poised to go stratospheric. To rave. To make love. To meet people. And equally, as she encourages, to find peace.
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