EUSEXUA— FKA twigs
FKA twigs’ third studio album is conceptually her most ambitious to date. Through her unique practice, which this album is named for, she explores the human condition in all of its euphoric, sexual, and life-affirming nuances.
Very few artists, if any, are able to capture the sheer — oftentimes excruciating — depth of human emotion quite like FKA twigs. Where some might take the feelings of love, happiness, and self-acceptance on their face, Twigs breaks beyond the surface to confront something deeper. Love can be as euphoric as it is grueling, happiness as serene as a bad omen, and self-acceptance a mantra where it can just as soon feel like a farce. EUSEXUA, her third studio album, offers some of the most nuanced and powerful explorations of those feelings yet. As lofty as it may sound, Twigs tries to discern what it means to be a human being among a dynamic array of electronic dance music.
Everything about this era has been bold, from the visuals to the creative process that inspired this record. The album’s central theme is that of its title, EUSEXUA, a portmanteau she concocted from the words “euphoria” and “sexual.” In the album’s announcement last September, Twigs stated that “EUSEXUA is a practice, EUSEXUA is a state of being, EUSEXUA is the pinnacle of human experience.” This practice is what has driven Twigs over the creation of this album. As opposed to other practices of this nature, there’s not much pretense. She states that the concept of EUSEXUA “was birthed in chicken scratch” and “written on the back of [her] hand in a toilet at a rave in Prague.” A lot of albums exploring what it means to be a human, to simply exist, love, and thrive in this ever-changing world, come from a place of snooty studying. Trying to find the answers in centuries-old philosophy and the works of esteemed writers, yet Twigs finds these answers in the dancefloors packed full of sweaty people feeling the moment together. What better representation of humanity is there than, as she describes it, “[making] love to the booming thud of culture?” This isn’t an anti-intellectual argument, rather, why shouldn’t raves, the dancefloors in a dingy club, and bumping up against other damp bodies not be included in the intellectual lexicon? EUSEXUA proves they most certainly should be.
We’re introduced to this practice through the plodding fury of the title track. It’s so serene, Twigs’ vocals are patient and reserved, yet something is burgeoning under the surface. A feeling that just worms its way into your subconscious, what is it? EUSEXUA? “Words cannot describe, baby / This feeling deep inside,” she sings. Words may not be able to describe it, but it’s certainly something that you feel on some abnormal level. That’s always been true of Twigs’ words, even as she digs into something more abstract here. My mind immediately goes to “Hours” from LP1, where Twigs sings “I could kiss you for hours” over some strange drum patterns. The way it’s delivered just strikes something internal. It’s sexy, it’s painful, it’s rapturous — if anyone can effectively express these subconscious feelings in their music, it’s her.
The characteristics of this practice Twigs is preaching about feel almost ubiquitous, but it’s transcendental nonetheless. It’s liberating, and that liberation is something she explores and encourages as the EUSEXUA experience continues. On the breakbeats of “Girl Feels Good,” she confronts toxic masculinity and how it prevents men from forming genuine connections with the women they wish to fall in love with — never chastising them, rather gently reaffirming them and trying to steer them in the proper direction. It’s very graceful. She flings herself into bouncy rhythms and the mysteries of love with “Perfect Stranger,” feeling the moment with someone and not worrying about any of the extra baggage surrounding them. This serves as a celebration of “love at first sight,” but this reveling in the no-strings-attached approach to romance could be brought about by past aches and pains — I mean, see songs like “cellophane” for example. Twigs’ mantras and beliefs that inform EUSEXUA are not just simple reaffirmations that life is worth living; they’re much more nuanced than that.
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Life contains moments of thunderous, exhilarating lust like on the Koreless-produced “Drums of Death” and “Striptease.” Moments of sobering realization like on the closer “Wanderlust,” which sees Twigs in one of the most intimate lights we’ve ever seen her, talking bluntly and overly descriptive, it feels like the morning after an insane rave party. It can also have moments of blissful immaturity like on the polarizing “Childlike Things,” featuring North West. It sticks out like a sore thumb in the album’s tracklist. Some write it off entirely, but I find it a fascinating inclusion and a pretty enjoyable track, a representation of pure invincible joy — even with West’s contributions.
The human condition is messy as all hell, and finding stability without acknowledging that is nearly impossible. On this album, Twigs finds herself above all the noise, trying to act as a guiding light for herself and others, yet even she seems unable to separate herself from life’s many tribulations. Maybe you aren’t supposed to. She’s tackling life from all angles, it feels almost like a healing process in a sense, both for herself and anyone who might feel lost in the world. Be in the moment. Accept yourself. Immerse yourself in the noise, immerse yourself in “the booming thud of culture.”
EUSEXUA is another bold, emphatic release from FKA twigs. The songs are as strong as ever, tied together by her most ambitious concept yet. The sounds here may be more palatable than on her previous records, but that unique edge she brings to her art is absolutely resilient. The best aspects of Twigs’ music are present here, just expanded to broader horizons. What we have is the most confident album in her catalog thus far. Maybe not everyone can follow the practices of EUSEXUA the way Twigs lays them out, but she certainly did. She’s in the moment, she feels everything. That’s what makes these songs so potent — she’s experiencing all of this. There’s no ironic detachment on EUSEXUA, it’s earnest, sometimes to an agonizing degree. This has been the case with all of Twigs’ music thus far, it’s one of the biggest reasons she stands out as one of the most singular artists of our generation.
FKA Twigs’ EUSEXUA is available on all streaming services. Buy the album through Young and the FKA twigs webstore
NOTE: some instances of EUSEXUA are in italics and some are not, this is to differentiate from the album title (italics) and the practice (not in italics). this was confusing for me too lol
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