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reasons why i can confidently say that fka twigs out talented everybody else: a thread
fka twigs (real name tahliah debrett barnett) is a 33 year british old singer, dancer, songwriter, and actress. her style is hard to define, but she works with pop, hip-hop, r&b, and electronic influences. she looks like this (notice she does NOT look like lana del rey)
her debut record LP1 was released in august 2014 to wide critical acclaim. hers was the highest ranked album of that year according to an aggregate of year-end critics lists
her second record MAGDALENE was released in november 2019, once again to huge critical acclaim, receiving near-top scores across the board. it was the fifth most acclaimed album of 2019 according to the same critics’ year-end aggregate list
her music video for single cellophane was nominated for a grammy and she performed at last year’s show with usher during a tribute to prince
anyway, none of that really matters to the talent discussion at hand, but this way you have some background here’s a link to those year-end lists btw https://robmitchum.github.io/aotysheets.html
here’s a link to those year-end lists btw https://robmitchum.github.io/aotysheets.html
twigs is a gorgeous singer, often using a whispery style that reflects a wide range of moods and tones, including quiet, gentle, reflective, mournful, sinister, angry, vengeful, sexy, and many more. here she is performing cellophane (one of her saddest songs) in a live setting https://twitter.com/shaunledding/status/1190943068091867137
the same song in another live setting, this time a bit easier to focus on just her voice. for MAGDALENE, twigs wanted to challenge herself by exploring more vocal styles that fit the theme of her album, turning to operatic and chant styles for her inspiration and training https://twitter.com/twenty22too/status/1253640398326636546
but she isn’t just a singer. twigs got her start as a backup dancer for other famous singers. here you can see her moves. you’ll notice that she’s quite impressive, expressive, and flexible in the way she dances. https://twitter.com/dailyfka/status/751848093767888896
here she is training. one notable thing about twigs is that she’s always looking for ways to practice and master her many skills as well as develop new ones https://twitter.com/twigsmami/status/1231631121756119041
this fast-paced live vogue routine further shows her range as a dancer. she can do slow and sexy, fast and energetic, and everything in between. https://twitter.com/gagasyuyi/status/1318942041875877888
curious of other styles, twigs learned how to pole dance specifically for her music video for cellophane. she incorporated those moves into each of her live shows on her last tour, which i was lucky enough to attend. here’s a clip from one of those shows. notice her strength! https://twitter.com/fkagalore/status/1358850638919131138
she showed her talent on the grammy stage as well. keep in mind that she learned how to do all of this despite enduring painful surgeries to get huge cysts removed from her inside. her sheer will and determination are so so admirable! https://twitter.com/poisoninroses/status/1221618869959372803
she also learned how to tap dance, using that skill to open each of her shows at the magdalene tour. again, her range! https://twitter.com/dmitry7392/status/1345626701318025217
as if all of the above wasn’t enough, twigs also dedicated herself to learning how to use a sword. here, you can see her training in what is known as wushu. it’s an art form that requires intense and sustained focus and precision to master. https://twitter.com/yvesfromloona/status/1264866900833636353
here you can see her incorporating her swordplay into her live performances. fun fact: twigs named her jian sword “lilith” https://twitter.com/c0mmiedyk3/status/1352942450323689473
and here she is incorporating her art, once again, into her magdalene live show. she manages to maintain her focus even after having already sang and danced throughout the show! if you want more twigs x sword content, check out her recent music video for her song ‘sad day’! https://twitter.com/whichwhitewitch/status/1350424686526685185
twigs is also a conceptual and lyrical genius. she seamlessly created her album by weaving together personal experiences, biblical imagery, ancient and modern musical styles, and deeply dramatic/emotive lyrics. i love this lyrical/thematic analysis.
this video explains the depth, consistency, and craft of twigs’s narrative on MAGDALENE. remember, she takes part in every part of the songwriting process, from lyrics to production and even mixing. the result is excellence across a wide range of genres
twigs has even dabbled with acting, featured most recently in the film ‘honey boy’ (please don’t go watch tho, we are not supporting sh*a lab*ouf in ANY way) i have no doubt that she could successfully branch out into acting if she wanted
in conclusion, despite there being many MANY other things we could discuss, twigs has proven herself to be a multi-talented and extremely versatile artist in only a couple of years and i suspect she’s only going to get better and better!
good luck identifying anybody more talented than MY gorgeous fave FKA twigs /end of thread
/end of thread
