FKA twigs has a long-held reputation for producing music that sounds otherworldly. Her essence is that of a small bespeckled alien, who smashes whatever sounds together whenever she wants. This past month she returned to the music scene with her new single, “Eusexua.” She explains that this single is based on her experiences living in Prague over the past few years. This is the headlining track for her upcoming album titled, you guessed it, “Eusexua,” which is set to be released late next January. The track’s music video, which comes in at a whopping seven and a half minutes long, has already garnered over a million views on YouTube.
The first few minutes of the video show FKA twigs working a bland corporate office job. Everything on the set is the same color, and the workers bear the same slack-jawed expressions. She’s dressed professionally but is a bit frazzled and late. As a superior complains to her, she picks up the phone which emits a strange beat and knocks everyone unconscious. This is followed by several minutes of choreography, which is genuinely so otherworldly that it is indescribable. She sits in a line of chairs while her body makes jerking puppet motions that correspond to the moves of her backup dancers. Then her outfit switches from something a gray corporate drone would wear to an ensemble that is fully FKA twigs. Her head is bald, except for a nest of hair circling the back of her head. She’s now wearing bold gray eyeshadow. She’s dressed in a tank top and underwear.
Next, the scene flashes to FKA twigs twirling in a conglomerate of flesh. I’m not kidding. She writhes against her now shirtless backup dancers. The scene reads like something from a 1970s pulp fiction novel. Is it weird? Maybe a little bit. Did it make me uncomfortable upon my first watch? Oh, absolutely. But something about the beat and the quiet hum of her voice as she synchronizes her movements drew me back in. She ends the music video by making direct eye contact with the camera while singing, “People always told me that I take my love too far. Then refused to help me … ” This minute of unbroken eye contact feels shockingly personal and is fitting for such an artsy and graphic music video.
The power of FKA twigs affirms that no matter how uncomfortable or unsettling her art may be, it leaves you wanting more. I watched this music video for a second time, approximately 25 minutes after my first viewing. I didn’t even make it half an hour. Something about her work sticks a needle under your skin and then leaves it there. Maybe that needle was her insanely sharp collar bones that were on display for most of the video. FKA’s voice is angelic, and when set against electronic computer synths, the combination feels unnatural. But what about this music video is natural? The paradoxical nature of her voice against the futuristic beats works well. Especially considering the song’s lyrics, which reinforces ideas of embracing the unordinary and unique: “Do you feel alone? You’re not alone.”
The entirety of FKA’s discography resembles this sentiment, but “Eusexua” specifically brings back an older version of FKA twigs’ tracks. The minimalist voices set against techno-computer beats remind me of her early work—but her new single is more refined and carries a stronger message at its heart. It’s more mature. The comparison of her early work and her most recent single shows immense growth and a sense of reflection on her past albums. “Eusexua” showcases FKA’s development as an artist over the past decade.