FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs performing in Sydney, February 2015
Background information
Birth name Tahliah Debrett Barnett
Born (1988-01-16) 16 January 1988
Gloucestershire, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
  • dancer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • synthesizer
  • drums
Years active 2012–present
Labels Young Turks
Associated acts
Website fkatwi.gs

Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 16 January 1988), known by the stage name FKA Twigs (stylised as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, producer and dancer. She was born and raised in Gloucestershire, and became a backup dancer after moving to London when she was 17 years old. Barnett first entered the music industry with the release of her extended plays EP1 (2012) and EP2 (2013). Her debut studio album LP1 (2014) and third extended play M3LL155X (2015) were released to critical acclaim, the first of which peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and number 30 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Early life

Tahliah Debrett Barnett[1] was born in Gloucestershire. Her father is Jamaican, and her mother, who used to be a dancer and a gymnast, is of part English and Spanish descent.[2] Barnett was raised by her mother and stepfather. She did not meet her father, a jazz dancer, until she was 18.[3] She grew up in Gloucestershire, and she has described the county as "kind of in the middle of nowhere."[2] She attended St. Edward's School, Cheltenham,[4] a private Catholic school.[5] She came from a low-income family and her education at the school was paid for by an academic scholarship.[6]

At 16, Barnett started making music in youth clubs.[3] At the age of 17, Twigs moved to London to pursue a career as a dancer.[7] She worked as a backup dancer in music videos by artists such as Kylie Minogue, Plan B , Ed Sheeran, Taio Cruz, Dionne Bromfield, and Jessie J.[8] She was a backup dancer for Jessie J in her 2010 video for "Do It like a Dude",[9] and appeared again in her 2011 video for "Price Tag".[10] She also appeared in Dionne Bromfield's video "Yeah Right".[11] In 2011, she appeared in a two-minute BBC comedy sketch titled Beyoncé Wants Groceries,[12] in which she was a backup dancer in a supermarket.[9]

Career

2012–13: EP1 and EP2

FKA Twigs performing at Webster Hall in New York City in August 2014

In August 2012, Twigs was photographed for the cover of i-D magazine.[13] She became known as Twigs for the way her joints crack.[2] She added the initialism FKA to her name when another artist called the Twigs complained about her use of the name.[2] Several sources have claimed that the "FKA" stands for "Formerly Known As".[14][15][16] However, Twigs herself has said in multiple interviews that the letters do not stand for anything in particular.[17][18]

Twigs self-released her music debut, EP1 (also called "twigs"), on Bandcamp on 4 December 2012. She posted a video for each song on her YouTube channel.[9] In August 2013, Twigs released the video for her first single "Water Me" on YouTube.[19] The video was directed by Jesse Kanda.[20] That same month, The Guardian profiled Twigs for their "New Band of the Day" feature, describing her as "the UK's best example to date of ethereal, twisted R&B."[21] Twigs's second extended play, EP2, was released through the Young Turks record label in September.[22] It was produced by Twigs and Arca. Pitchfork gave EP2 a rating of 8/10.[23] In December, she was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2014 prize, and was chosen by Spotify for their Spotlight on 2014 list.[24][25] Twigs was then featured on Billboard's 14 Artists to Watch in 2014.[26]

2014–15: LP1 and M3LL155X

In April 2014, Twigs appeared on the cover of The Fader for its 91st issue.[27] She then directed and starred in the music video for "Ouch Ouch" by rapper Lucki Eck$. She also produced the track.[28] Twigs's debut album, LP1, was released in August through Young Turks.[29] Time magazine gave the album a positive review, saying that Twigs has "made that transition to one of the most compelling and complex acts in R&B."[30] Twigs then announced a world tour starting on 2 October at The Dome in Brighton, England and ending on 3 December in Orlando, Florida at The Social.[31]

On 7 November 2014 producer Boots, whose work includes producing music on Beyoncé's eponymous 2013 album, announced he was working on a third EP with Twigs.[32][33] The video for "Glass & Patron", the first song released from the EP was posted on twigs's official YouTube channel on 23 March 2015.[34] On 15 May 2015, on her official Instagram account, she posted a picture of men posing with jackets on that had an image of Twigs' face from the "Papi Pacify" video with Twigs captioning the pic "coming soon... <3", hinting at either FKA Twigs merchandise or EP3's alleged release in the summer. During an interview with Complex magazine released in June, she stated that she had changed the title of the EP to "Melissa", and that it would be released within two months. She confirmed it would include the songs "Glass & Patron", "Mothercreep", "I'm Your Doll", "Figure 8", and "In Time".[35] The EP, stylised as M3LL155X, was released on 13 August 2015, containing all five tracks and accompanied by four videos, which were directed by Twigs herself, featuring pregnancy, sex dolls, vogueing and Rick Owens' wife and muse Michele Lamy. The title of the EP reads as "Melissa" and is named after the artist's "personal female energy".

2016-present: Upcoming musical project

On 18 February 2016, Twigs debuted a new song and music video titled "Good to Love".[36] The song premiered at Soundtrack 7, her seven-day residency at Manchester International Festival that took place in July 2015.[37] The song was performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 24 February 2016.[38]

Directing

Alongside her music career Twigs has directed or co-directed most of her videos. In August 2014 she was signed to London-based production company Academy Films as part of their A+ roster, she has since directed videos for "Pendulum", "Glass & Patron", "M3LL155X" as well as the forthcoming Soundtrack 7 dance films.

FKA Twigs posted three videos on her YouTube channel: a video starring London dance crew Wet Wipez, directed and scored by Twigs; a remix of the song "Ache" titled "tw-ache"; and the Lucki Eck$ track "Ouch Ouch", which was produced by Twigs. Twigs's album LP1 was one of the nominees for the 2014 Mercury Prize.[39] In September, FKA twigs performed on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland.[40] In October 2014, FKA Twigs released a video for "Video Girl" while she also directed an advert for Google Glass.[41] Twigs made her American TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 4 November.[42] In February 2015, she performed Congregata, a theatrical "coming together" and choreographed performance that visualised "the story of my life while making this album" at the Roundhouse in Camden London.

Musical style and influences

FKA Twigs's music has been described as "catchy pop" with "whispery vocals".[43] It has been compared to the work of Tricky[44] as well as Janet Jackson, The xx and Massive Attack.[45] A Slate review called her distinctive in a way that rises above her influences.[46] FKA Twigs has been associated with the alternative R&B movement, though she herself rejects her music being labelled as R&B or alternative R&B, and instead considers her sound to be closer to punk.[47]

The first singers who had an impact on FKA Twigs were Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marvin Gaye. When she started composing songs, she wanted to reproduce music she liked: "every bit of music that I made sounded like a pastiche of Siouxsie and the Banshees or Adam Ant. But through that I discovered myself".[48] Describing her artistry, she said: "I am not restricted by any musical genre. I like to experiment with sounds, generating emotions while putting my voice on certain atmospheres. [...] Younger, I only listened to punk, Siouxsie and the Banshees [...] and then I found my own way of playing punk. I like industrial sounds and incorporating everyday life's sounds like a car alarm."[49]

Personal life

In April 2015, it was confirmed that Barnett is engaged to actor and musician Robert Pattinson.[50][51] The pair started dating in mid-2014.[52]

Discography

Main article: FKA Twigs discography

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ "FKA twigs complete name". Genes Reunited.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Rising: FKA twigs". Pitchfork Media. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 Sanders, Courtney. "FKA Twigs".
  4. ↑ "Cheltenham songstress FKA Twigs shortlisted for prestigious music award". Gloucestershire Echo. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben. "FKA twigs: 'Weird things can be sexy'". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "FKA Twigs: ‘I’m appealing to people who want something different’". The Guardian. 30 November 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Artist Biography by Heather Phares. "FKA Twigs | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Carrie Battan (22 July 2014). "Interviews: FKA twigs". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 Barna, Ben (11 September 2013). "FKA Twigs Factsheet: Everything We Know About the Shadowy Singer". Bullett Media. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Video : FKA Twigs "Water Me"". praythemusic.com. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Video : Dionne Bromfield - Yeah Right ft. Diggy Simmons".
  12. ↑ "Beyonce Wants Groceries". YouTube. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  13. ↑ "Bleach Hair Salon". Bleachlondon.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "Album Review: FKA Twigs – EP2". Consequence of Sound. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "5 Things To Know About Robert Pattinson's Fiancée, FKA twigs". People. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Inside the Legal Fight Over FKA Twigs' Stage Name". Billboard. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "What does ‘FKA Twigs’ really mean?". Seattle Times. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "fka twigs: future shock". Dazed. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  19. ↑ "FKA twigs – Water Me". YouTube. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "FKA twigs – "Water Me" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  21. ↑ Paul Lester. "New band of the day (FKA twigs 1,569)". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "FKA twigs – EP2 / Young Turks". Theyoungturks.co.uk. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "FKA twigs: EP2 | Album Reviews". Pitchfork Media. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "Sound of, 2014 – FKA twigs". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "Spotify reveals the artists under the Spotify Spotlight for 2014 | Spotify Press". Press.spotify.com. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  26. ↑ "14 Artists to Watch in 2014". Billboard. 13 January 2014.
  27. ↑ "FKA Twigs: Power Play". The FADER. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  28. ↑ Golden, Zara. "Watch FKA Twigs' Transcendental Video for Lucki Eck$ "Ouch Ouch"". Fader. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  29. ↑ "FKA twigs Announces Debut Album LP1".
  30. ↑ Josephs, Brian. "Review: FKA twigs Makes a Beautiful and Devastating Debut on LP1". time.com. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  31. ↑ Copestick, Julia (13 August 2014). "FKA Twigs Announces World Tour". Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  32. ↑ Boots working on Fka Twigs Ep 3, and much more, Genius, 7 November 2014
  33. ↑ After His Coup With Beyoncé, Boots Strides Out of the Shadows, NY Times, 14 February 2015
  34. ↑ FKA twigs - Glass & Patron (Official Music Video YTMAs)
  35. ↑ FKA twigs Interview 2015 Complex
  36. ↑ http://pitchfork.com/news/63638-fka-twigs-new-song-good-to-love-debuts-with-sensual-video/
  37. ↑ http://f-k-a-twigs.tumblr.com/day/2015/07/14/
  38. ↑ http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/guest/fka-twigs/15746
  39. ↑ Jonze, Tim (11 September 2014). "Mercury prize 2014 ignores big stars in favour of FKA Twigs, Young Fathers and East India Youth". Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  40. ↑ FKA twigs – Two Weeks – Later... with Jools Holland – BBC Two, YouTube, 16 September 2014
  41. ↑ Payne, Chris (21 October 2014). "Watch FKA Twigs Make Google Glass Look Really, Really Cool in New Commercial". billboard.com. Nielsen.
  42. ↑ Boardman, Madeline (5 November 2014). "FKA twigs Plays Tonight Show: Watch Robert Pattinson's Girlfriend Make Her US Television Debut". Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  43. ↑ Sheffield, Hazel (6 August 2014). "FKA Twigs – 'LP1'". NME. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  44. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (7 August 2014). "FKA Twigs: LP1 review – a singular piece of work in an overcrowded market". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  45. ↑ Medina, Jamie-James. "Rising: FKA twigs" Pitchfork, 1 August 2013. Accessed 30 April 2015
  46. ↑ Lockett, Dee (11 August 2014). "A guide to FKA Twigs, Music's New 'It Girl'". Slate. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  47. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/09/fka-twigs-two-weeks-lp1
  48. ↑ Saxelby, Ruth (25 September 2013). "Interview: Young Turks’ FKA twigs". Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  49. ↑ Binet, Stéphanie (30 October 2014). "Pitchfork Festival : trois ans, et déjà la postérité pour le dubstep [including an interview with FKA Twigs]". Le Monde. Retrieved 12 November 2014. Je ne me plie à aucun genre musical, assure la métisse anglo-jamaïcaine. J'aime expérimenter avec les sons, provoquer des émotions en posant ma voix sur certaines atmosphères. Je viens de terminer mes derniers morceaux, et cela a beaucoup évolué par rapport à mon premier disque. Mes nouvelles musiques sont plus agressives. Plus jeune, je n'écoutais que du punk, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sid Vicious, et là, j'ai trouvé ma propre manière de jouer du punk. J'aime les sons industriels, incorporer des bruits de la vie de tous les jours comme une alarme de voiture.
  50. ↑ "Robert Pattinson and FKA twigs Are Engaged!". People.
  51. ↑ "FKA twigs Interview (2015 Cover Story)". Complex. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  52. ↑ "How Did Robert Pattinson & FKA Twigs Meet?". Bustke. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2016.

External links

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