Friday, Jan. 24 marked the third album release from British experimental pop artist FKA twigs: “Eusexua.” The album title is a phrase FKA twigs created in an effort to describe a rave experience she had in Prague that she defined as “a feeling of momentary transcendence often evoked by art, music, sex, and unity.”

Despite the definition of the album title evoking “the pinnacle of human experience,” “Eusexua” is more than an exploration of bliss or limitless possibility brought about by whatever drugs she was on at the time — it’s a surging, stylized deep dive into the experience of embodying an emotion, of physicalizing something previously intangible.

FKA twigs’ greatest strength as an artist has always been following her instincts, regardless of whether or not they reflect the current pop canon. “Eusexua” is yet another example of her foresight into the future direction of experimental pop.

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The eponymous lead single and opening track to the album abducts listeners like a cow in a cornfield below a UFO with its throaty beat as if the sound is echoing through a body. The sound ultimately comes across as urgent and unfamiliar, though not unpleasant. 

That percussive emphasis on physicality rings true thematically, especially in her more experimental songs because FKA twigs felt an emotion so positive — and yet so foreign — that she decided to coin a new word for it before crafting an album.

For example, she further explores a dissonant take on electropop on “Room Of Fools” that toes the line between randomness and a method to her madness. However, the song’s progression into a club hit feels natural enough to prove that her feet are grounded in a sonic and thematic argument: A party is a group performance that takes a level of vulnerability to experience authentically.

Fans of FKA twigs’ previous 2022 mixtape “CAPRISONGS” might not necessarily resonate with the more moody, complex production of the new album’s more out-there tracks, but “Eusexua” features a wide range of tones that each tackle one tangled theme — the experience of shedding identity in order to pursue and experience an indescribable, unknowable feeling.

On the headier, more positive side of a feeling like eusexua lies the more club-forward songs that liken the album to the weird, pervy older cousin of Charli XCX’s “brat” that frequents raves a little too much — in a good way. 

“Girl Feels Good” is a cheeky but subtle early-2000s homage that was made to play during an “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004) heist scene as Vincent Cassel strikes some crazy poses. Thematically, it rings as a deeper look into the radical act of prioritizing feminine happiness on the path to eusexua — sonically, the listener is trying to weave through lasers on their way to lift a Fabergé egg. 

Similarly, “Perfect Stranger” is an electric ballad with the lyrics of an old-timey country tune in the style of Patsy Cline that will draw in “CAPRISONGS” fans with its pop-forward production.

The album’s less weighty tracks fall slightly flat when FKA twigs’ lyricism takes a backseat for the DJ-style mixing running rampant throughout “Euasexua,” specifically in “Childlike Things.”

Clearly, the song is supposed to emulate some kind of immaturity considering not only the title but also an out-of-left-field feature from North West — an actual child. Yes, FKA twigs’ strength is her ability to think outside the box, but not only is the feature entirely unnecessary and the only part of the album in Japanese besides a singular line in the last song, it could be removed entirely without changing the ethos of the album.

West’s verses also discuss faith in God, creating a link to immaturity and religious faith that never comes up again in the rest of the album. Overall, her presence leaves the listener wondering if West took two elementary Japanese lessons under the tutelage of Kanye and kind of sang her homework over a beat.

Thankfully, the album’s unique voice and hard-hitting emotionality allow for tracks like “Childlike Things” to inherit some kind of thematic value by virtue of being a part of something greater. “Striptease” showcased FKA twigs’ mastery of vocal emotion, though the production’s storytelling made it one of the most memorable songs on the album.

“Sticky” is one of the most striking songs out of “Eusexua” and is another masterful use of production to sonically depict the complete arc of sacrificing a part of the self every time a new relationship ends and another one begins. The production is relatively stripped back as she reflects on her vulnerable road to recovery until a climactic ending, as she painfully yet cathartically rediscovers herself in its final moments.

Arguably, the strongest songs lie at the end of the album, specifically in the form of “24hr Dog.” The piece lyrically emphasizes the theme of shedding identity in the hopes of finding a new obsession. FKA twigs’ lyricism is reinforced via the relationship between her vocals and the production as she vocalizes rhythmically to provide the backing beat like a dog panting, begging for attention from the subject of the song.

FKA twigs’ album ultimately sticks the landing almost perfectly, ending the three-year wait for a new album from the experimental artist with a satisfying, emotional and masterfully produced bang. If this is the time it takes for FKA twigs to produce an album like “Eusexua,” listeners will be seated for as long as she needs.