FKA twigs ‘learns to laugh again’ on ‘Caprisongs’
Famous artists are so precisely manicured, edited by publicists and shrouded in mystique that it’s often easy for us to forget they’re human. Indeed, FKA twigs has been on a supernatural run since releasing her debut album, “LP1,” in 2014.
So when twigs returned last Friday with “CAPRISONGS,” her first new collection since 2019’s “MAGDALENE,” she brought surprises for her listeners: brand new collaborations, heaps of experimentation and an unserious attitude distinct from her past releases.
That’s not to say her music has never been fun — on the contrary, diving into her music is an incredible journey through dense production and eclectic, genre-bending influences. But this release – her first “mixtape” – is obviously less artsy and momentous than it is joyous and human.
In the run-up to this release, many fans expressed anxiety about twigs’ evolution. It’s not uncommon that a beloved artist signs to a major label (Atlantic Records, in this case) and experiences shifts that alienate their original fanbase.
It’s a tale as old as time — or at least as old as cavemen and their instinctive fear of fire. The conception of something new is invariably met with unease, especially from those who cherish the present tripping over each other to grumble about its change.
Yet, as “CAPRISONGS” reveals, the playful 17-track tape is a reflection of twigs’ personal evolution, an aspect of her humanity which she can’t separate from her art.
Evolution, fate and humanity are common themes on the tape, manifested in twigs’ attention to astrology. Multiple tracks, including the entirety of “christi interlude,” discuss twigs’ newfound spiritual peace, as natural as the planets’ movement; “how delightful, you were born on a New Moon,” Christi Meshell says. “That gives you such an optimistic energy / You believe anything can happen, the world is your oyster.”
She elaborated on her evolution in a Twitter thread the night before the tape’s release, saying “those of you who have listened to magdalene know … i have fallen back in love with music, danger, trying new things … caprisongs is my journey back to myself through my amazing collaborators and friends.”
What amazing collaborators and friends, indeed; the mixtape features 9 artists and dozens of producers, most of whom twigs has never worked with before. They each bring something distinct out of her and the futuristic production, from grime rapper Shygirl’s tight verse on the squeaky dancehall track “papi bones” to The Weeknd’s trademark crooning on R&B pop single “tears in the club.” The effect of these features is not just enhanced songs but completely altered soundscapes — the influence guests have on twigs’ approach to a song is immense.
On the topic of inventive genre fusion, it’s impossible to classify this tape to a single genre. Spanning so many sounds, the only constants making this a unified experience are twigs’ flawless vocal control and willingness to play around with futuristic production elements.
There are certainly some chart-ready singles in the tracklist. “jealousy,” featuring Nigerian singer Rema and produced by twigs and Koreless, is a forward-thinking reggaeton track perfect for the new year. It’s been a while since Daniel Caesar’s impressive debut, “Freudian,” but the track “careless” that he’s featured on reinvents the same lowkey, choral R&B which made him so popular in a way that both updates the sound and sparks nostalgia.
The track “darjeeling,” though it may not be a chart-topper, is a fantastic take on U.K. grime. The trio of twigs and fellow English artists Jorja Smith and Unknown T float over the beat as they reflect on their journeys to the London music scene.
The presence of rappers in the tracklist brings out one of my favourite sides of FKA twigs: her rap delivery. She has a short but fantastic verse on the Pa Salieu-assisted track “honda,” but the lyrical dexterity seemingly inspires her to race around on the beat, changing up her cadence and weaving adlibs into a fascinating second half, exuding confidence all the while.
Though she maintains a confidence exclusive to those that have mastered their craft, twigs comes across with levity on every song. It’s certainly less serious than her other work, but the playfulness with which she approaches the tape doesn’t take away from its quality but rather puts the listener in a space to be receptive to the wild experimentation sprinkled throughout.
The highlight in that regard is “which way,” featuring Dystopia, an indescribable combination of spoken word, chanted poetry and squeaky vocal lines over a lowkey trill hop track. As a collaborator with legendary squeaky rapper 645AR, it’s not surprising that twigs would experiment with her upper register, but it is executed to such an artful level that it truly exceeds the fun-loving approach it was inspired by.
Of course, the takeaway from the tape is not that the work is above the playfulness of its production process — just the opposite. It was the willingness to have fun, to experiment with futuristic sounds and new friends, that caused FKA twigs to create this exceptional piece of work. Over the course of the pandemic and her work on this tape, it would seem that not just her music, but her approach to life has evolved.
“Each album i go off and learn a craft,” she said on Twitter. “LP1 to produce and vogue. MAGDALENE to pole dance, wushu. CAPRISONGS i learnt to laugh again and remember who i am.”
5/5