Atanaria
FKA twigs’ third album, EUSEXUA, is an electrifying odyssey into the depths of dance music and the boundless landscapes of personal transformation. Named after her self-coined concept, “eusexua,” twigs dives headfirst into a state of heightened creativity, self-discovery, and liberation. The album is a celebration of club culture, a meditation on identity, and a showcase of twigs’ mastery in balancing avant-garde experimentation with pop accessibility.
Twigs has always been an artist who thrives on abstraction, and “eusexua” is no exception. In the buildup to the album’s release, she described the term as the exhilarating moment before inspiration strikes—a blank slate humming with potential. This ethos permeates every track on EUSEXUA. From the pulsating techno of the title track to the euphoric breaks of “Room of Fools,” the album captures the tension between anticipation and release, much like the moment twigs describes as “the second before an orgasm.”
Sonically, EUSEXUA is a love letter to dance music’s rich history, seamlessly weaving between genres like techno, house, garage, and drum and bass. While the album nods to familiar forms—“Eusexua” channels Eurodance energy, “Girl Feels Good” echoes Madonna’s Ray of Light, and “Perfect Stranger” evokes Disclosure-esque garage—it never feels derivative. Instead, twigs injects these styles with her signature experimental flair, creating tracks that are simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic. Each song pulses with life, refusing to stay in one place for too long. The frenetic shifts between tempos and textures mimic the physicality of the dancefloor, where moments of ecstasy and introspection collide.
The production on EUSEXUA is immaculate. Working with a stellar roster of collaborators, including Koreless, Nico Jaar, and Stuart Price, twigs crafts a sonic landscape teeming with intricate details. The album’s sound design is nothing short of stunning: metallic scratches punctuate the breakdown of “Room of Fools,” ghostly woodwinds haunt the coda of “Keep It, Hold It,” and static-laden beats transform “Sticky” from a fragile ballad into a kinetic anthem. Twigs’ ability to manipulate these elements into fully realized tracks underscores her prowess as both a visionary artist and a meticulous craftsman.
At the heart of EUSEXUA is twigs’ voice—a marvel of strength and vulnerability. She moves effortlessly between ethereal falsettos, guttural growls, and hypnotic chants, imbuing each lyric with raw emotion. On “Eusexua,” she captures the intoxicating power of self-assurance, while on “Room of Fools,” her melismatic phrasing turns the line “It feels nice” into an otherworldly mantra. Her vocals serve as the emotional anchor of the album, bridging its experimental edges with its deeply human core.
Lyrically, the album explores themes of identity, submission, and self-acceptance. Tracks like “24Hr Dog” and “Striptease” delve into the vulnerability of baring one’s true self, while “Wanderlust” speaks to the tension between self-discovery and the desire to connect with others. Twigs balances introspection with playfulness, softening her avant-garde edges to let in moments of humor and warmth. This evolution feels like a natural progression, reflecting the transformative journey she has undergone both personally and artistically.
Ultimately, EUSEXUA is more than just an album—it’s an experience. Twigs has created a body of work that transcends genre, blending the cerebral with the visceral to craft something entirely her own. While it’s deeply rooted in the traditions of dance music, it also pushes those boundaries, offering a vision of pop music that is as imaginative as it is grounded. With EUSEXUA, FKA twigs reaffirms her status as one of contemporary music’s most daring and compelling voices. This is an album that demands to be felt, lived, and danced to—a masterpiece of eusexua in action.
