Pushing boundaries with FKA twigs on EUSEXUA

Mimicking a heartbeat, FKA twigs’ third studio album begins by drawing you in close; introducing the listener to EUSEXUA and what should be expected in the tracks to come. With eleven songs total, Twigs experiments with genres, ranges, and voice styles; each one being extremely varied from the last. The experimental nature of this LP is nothing but fitting and suggests that they won’t stop pushing the boundaries and norms of music anytime soon.

"Eusexua," the first track on the album, is one of the few raw moments throughout where FKA twigs expresses their longing for physical and emotional closeness. Despite their otherworldly energy, they show us that they are human too. Their bare vocals, paired only with a synth, quiet chords, and the heartbeat adjacent beat create an atmosphere for listeners to be present with Twigs as they tell their story. This song is a big part of the variety within this album, leaving plenty of space for other tracks to be more impactful than they would’ve been otherwise.

FKA twigs is often described as transformative, embodying that word in everything they’ve done with this album from the sound profiles to the visuals. Songs like "Perfect Stranger" and "Room of Fools" bring the club to you; the latter having vocals that nearly converse amongst themselves. It shows Twigs’ ability to sing however they see fit, rather than being confined to one voice style. It’s safe to say they are never stagnant.

A standout in this album is "Childlike Things," exuding juvenile energy with the high register and staying upbeat throughout. This is one of two pieces on the album that have a feature, North West being the feature for this one and Koreless being two before this. Both features are appropriate, and add to the album despite both songs not necessarily needing them. North West was an apt pick for this song however and ties in the lyrics very well.

"Keep It, Hold It" and "Striptease" both challenge the narrative, showing us that FKA twigs is capable of a “mainstream sound” amongst their normal off-beat and unique sound. They are also two of the most lyrically dense parts of the album, telling listeners stories and keeping less up for interpretation; “Keep It, Hold It" especially so. This is something that the album could use more of; more lyrics, more of Twigs’ life, and more insight into their thoughts behind this project.

Mindbending is a word that comes to mind while listening to this album, and "24hr Dog" is the song that draws this word out the most because of its hypnotic sound. It’s almost alien, or something you’d hear if you saw aliens with the endless and ever changing vocals over what could be interpreted as the ticking of a clock. A few times in the song everything gets warped, making the listening experience "trippy" and different each time when new layers present themselves.

All in all, this album is fantastic and comes together very well despite each song being unique and unlike one another. However, it could use more lyrics and storytelling to enhance the listening experience, and because of this EUSEXUA gets 4 out of 5 stars. Everything comes together and suits FKA twigs' style, even with the experimentation of new sounds and techniques. Whether you want to feel like you’re in the club or in a time dilated reality, EUSEXUA is absolutely the album to start exploring new genres and expand your taste in music.