In August 2024, FKA twigs announced her next album was slated to release in January. For this six-month waiting period, she intermittently fed her fanbase, affectionately named “twiglets,” with singles, snippets and music videos all aimed at expanding the experience of Eusexua. According to FKA twigs, “Eusexua is a practice. Eusexua is a state of being. Eusexua is the pinnacle of human experience.”
Born Tahliah Barnett in Cheltenham, England, FKA twigs has spent many years as a dancer, songwriter, singer and actress. Her latest album comes at an opportune time; hiking off the tails of “brat summer,” twiglets have dubbed this season “Eusexua winter.” The album — which is said to be based on the feelings evoked by the club and rave scene in Prague — features 11 tracks laden with house beats, heavy percussion and the feminine style that FKA twigs has come to be renowned for.
Confusingly, the album is tinged with more vaguely Japanese elements than anything distinctly European, but the energy is there. For each of the 11 tracks, FKA twigs crafts a story of sensuality and longing, weaving together fragmented whispers, ethereal production and hypnotic beats to create a soundscape that is both intimate and otherworldly.
In the wake of a tumultuous start to the 2020s — in which 85 of her demo tracks were leaked online, leading to the entire project being scrapped — FKA twigs rebuilt from the ground up, channeling her frustration and heartbreak into something even more daring and self-assured. The result is a sonic reinvention, a testament to her refusal to be defined by setbacks. Her story is one of resilience and finding power and joy in unexpected places. Even in moments of quiet devastation, FKA twigs transforms pain into beauty, making space for ecstasy, liberation and self-exploration.
The album’s title track, released Sept. 13 invites you to immerse yourself into the experience of “EUSEXUA.” “EUSEXUA” itself represents a feeling of sexual euphoria. Of being in a crowd and dancing all night, lost in the throes of love and elation.
Tracks like “Girl Feels Good” and “Room of Fools” are evocative of seminal pop icons Bjork and Madonna but have a distinct spin that is all FKA twigs’ own. “Perfect Stranger” is a more traditional dance pop song, with echoes of FKA twigs’ previous work on the surface. This track will be the easiest to consume for those who are not familiar with FKA twigs’ unique sound.
Arguably, the most surprising and controversial track on the album is “Childlike Things,” which features a verse from North West — yes, child prodigy, California royalty, daughter of Kim and Kanye — spoken entirely in Japanese. A catchy blend of high-energy lyrics and production, “Childlike Things” is a clear standout of the album but perhaps for the wrong reasons.
The final two tracks of “EUSEXUA” are the most heartbreakingly powerful. On “24hr Dog,” FKA twigs captures something beyond mere yearning — raw, unfiltered devotion. She boldly confesses to her lover, “I’m a dog for you,” embracing an almost primal submission. The track pulses with an animalistic spirit, its howls and desperate urgency making her transformation feel all the more striking, especially given the vulnerability she’s laid bare in the past.
She closes with “Wanderlust,” a dreamy, atmospheric cut that finds her searching for the next horizon. Even as she looks ahead, she lingers on the dance floor just a little longer, lost in the moment. Here, she’s untouchable — a fleeting figure moving through the night, slipping beyond reach.
Perhaps the concept of “EUSEXUA” has now surpassed FKA twigs’ own capabilities of creation. But to suggest that the music itself falls flat is, in this author’s view, a misunderstanding of her artistic intent. FKA twigs’ musical power comes from her soft, feminine energy, which she infuses into each moment of her sonic journey. As a constant innovator, she reshapes the boundaries of pop and R&B, effortlessly fusing elements of the avant-garde with the deeply personal.
Because FKA twigs does not shy from her vulnerability but rather embraces it as a wellspring of strength, her work remains captivating. She crafts music that exists in the space between desire and despair, between control and surrender, inviting the listener to step into her dreamlike world and experience its delicate, transformative power.
