@fkatwigs
In 2022, English singer-songwriter Tahliah Debrett Barnett, known to fans as FKA Twigs, moved to Prague, Czechia, to act in Rupert Sanders’s “The Crow.” Between takes, she immersed herself in the city’s underground rave scene, the sound of which informed the singer’s third album. “Eusexua” marks Barnett’s first release in over three years since 2019’s exemplary concept record “Magdalene” and her 2022 mixtape, “Caprisongs.”
In terms of genre, “Eusexua” is tough to pin down. Critics broadly characterize it as techno — and I agree — but Barnett experiments with electronica, dance, downtempo, house and trip-hop. It’s more a feeling that Barnett wants to capture with this project. She grabs our hand for a night out, bringing the listener from a warehouse rave or sweaty club, jumping in and out of cabs, walking the streets of Berlin or Amsterdam, dancing until the sunrise drives us home.
But what does “Eusexua” mean? Barnett has offered several definitions for the newly coined term. “Eusexua is the pinnacle of human experience,” she wrote in an Instagram post. In conversation with British Vogue, Barnett defined it as the “sensation of being so euphoric” and a feeling that allows one to “transcend human form.”
The title track opens the album. The song is a sparse techno number framed by heavy 808 bass and ambient textures. The chorus repeats a kind of mission statement for the album: “Do you feel alone? / You’re not alone” (i.e., in the club, we’re all fam). The track picks up with the last chorus, bringing us to the dance floor.
On “Girl Feels Good,” Barnett pulls from the sonic palette of Madonna’s 1998 masterpiece “Ray of Light,” combining a shuffling beat with electric guitars, pitched-up synths that sound like bird calls and wonky tape-delayed keyboards. The lyrics speak to the power of the feminine. Barnett asserts, “When a girl feels good, it makes the world go ‘round.”
“Perfect Stranger” is a pop-oriented moment on a record that otherwise eschews mainstream sensibilities. Although the track boasts a great pre-chorus and sticky hooks, the lyrics are too literal for such an esoteric concept record. The production is noticeably less intriguing than the rest of “Eusexua.”
The LP redeems itself with “Drums of Death.” Barnett teased the track in the “Eusexua” music video, where she writhes around a corporate office in scantily clad attire before performing an intricate chair dance, a moment which became viral on TikTok. “Drums of Death” opens with a long instrumental composed of sharp 808 beats, synchronized claps and chopped vocals. In the chorus, she urges the listener to reject the mundanity of life and embrace sexual liberation. The song ends with an iconic line: “Crash the system, diva doll!”
On “Room Of Fools,” we are back at the warehouse rave. Barnett delivers de-tuned vocals in a stylized manner reminiscent of Björk. On the more downtempo “Sticky,” Barnett laments an ill-fated situationship. The song ends with an explosion of sound, the grimy bass and chopped vocals contrasting Barnett’s intimate declaration of, “My body aches to be known.”
“Keep It, Hold It” starts slow and sparse; “What have I got to do?” Barnett asks, as the backing vocals respond, “Just keep it walking … hold it close.” That technique brings to mind Kate Bush’s classic LP “Hounds of Love,” in which the lead and backing vocals represent a conversation between the narrator and her subconscious. The bridge ushers in a beat switch that moves the song uptempo before the song devolves into processed vocals and buzzing synths.
The eighth track is the befuddling “Childlike Things,” featuring North West, the 11-year-old daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. The song is undeniably fun, boasting a house beat and gospel piano akin to Beyoncé’s “BREAK MY SOUL.” Barnett sings about escapism before North West delivers a bizarre second verse in Japanese.
“Striptease” follows, recently serviced as the fourth single. The verses are intense, punctuated by a trap beat and processed snares, with Barnett’s vocals jumping octaves. The choruses juxtapose that feeling, dropping into an ethereal and airy space. The track explores vulnerability as she sings, “Opening me feels like a striptease.” In the ending section, a breakbeat jumps in, followed by strings and stylized ad-libs that sound to me like those of Dolores O’Riordan.
The album proceeds with “24hr Dog,” an electronica number about devotion to a stoic muse. “Eusexua” ends with the anti-climactic “Wanderlust.” The autotuned lyrics are vague and clunky, alluding to dissatisfaction with life and a desire for freedom. The beat picks up in the bridge but never delivers a final punch to close the album.
“Eusexua” is a fascinating and deeply nuanced project. Barnett’s lyricism is not as sharp or emotionally charged as “Magdalene,” but her soundscaping and production quality are undeniably incredible. Barnett braids together varied sounds from the rave scene of numerous cities to create a record that emulates the intoxicating energy of a great night out. So ask yourself: Have you experienced Eusexua?