Story by Imogen Brown 

Words are used to express a mental concept of our emotions, thoughts and feelings when we can’t express it in any other way. FKA Twigs went to Prague in search of a definition to her work ethic, struggles and overall life experience. After her time clubbing in Prague was over, she came back with a new word: “Eusexua.” After two years of cultivating Twigs’ third album, “Eusexua” dropped on Jan. 24. As a reflection to this album, The DrumBeat entrusted Imogen Brown and Catalaya Demarco to share their thoughts on each of these songs and define “Eusexua” for TJC audiences.  

Eusexua

Imogen: Feeling alone can be a catalyst to one’s demise yet another’s greatness. FKA Twigs takes the human concept of loneliness and gives listeners a reason to her creation of the word “Eusexua.”  FKA Twigs released her album on Jan. 24.Twigs defines “Eusexua” as “a practice, state of being, and a pinnacle of the human experience.” Twigs starts off her album with a sensory overload of EDM, techno and vocals to bring her listeners on a new “state of being” called “Eusexua.”

Girl Feels Good

Imogen: “When a Girl Feels Good” she might run for vice president, work to create change in the world, or even create a techno masterpiece of an album.  This track acclimates listeners with its nostalgic synths reminiscent of Madonna’s “Ray of Light.” “Girl Feels Good,”  a synthy rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” captures the feelings of women across the world.

Perfect Stranger

Imogen: Dating apps are a hassle and can overstimulate users with millions of possible matches. Finding the “Perfect Stranger” is something that can only be found on “Eusexua.”  “Perfect Stranger” uses its music video to center on how constantly moving to different relationships to find “the one” is almost like living the nine lives of a cat.  Similar to the concept presented in the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Twigs pays tribute to the dance tracks that came before her with a groovy beat paired with relatable lyrical content.

Drums of Death

Imogen: “Drums of Death” uses its heavy experimental soundscape with clashing vocal samplings to encapsulate the feeling of breaking free of a restrictive corporate environment, known for zapping away a person’s individuality. The accompanied music video gives listeners a visual showing of tearing away conservatism in the face of an opportunity to live life for the fun of it. “Eusexua is a practice” (quote from Twig’s Eusexua Annoncement Post on Instagram) where listeners are given the chance to escape from the pressures of work.

Room of Fools

Imogen: Twigs ushers her listeners into a soundscape that builds a connection with listeners.  “Room of Fools” uses the 90s Chicago club theme as the meeting point where connections make an impact in people’s lives. Sometimes it might take being in a “Room of Fools” to find them.

Sticky

Imogen: College life is filled with “overcomplicated moments and sticky situations” (exerpt from “Sticky”) students have to navigate in their adult lives. The song starts off with an melancholic opening and comes to a crashing end with the suddenness of glass shattering on the ground. “Sticky” is a heart-to-heart for people living despite whatever they are experiencing outside of the classroom.

Keep It, Hold It

Imogen: Twigs wrote this song as a tribute for survivors of abuse to survive and hold on to the fact that you survived and deserve to live. This song uses its repetitiveness to its strength, acting as a chant to live in spite of what happened to them.  “Keep it, Hold it” reminds listeners to live in spite of what they’ve been through.

Childlike Things

Imogen: : An 11-year-old by the name of North West brought a new and younger perspective to “Eusexua” in “Childlike Things.” This song ads a sense of childlike joy with its ability to be a mainstay for joyride playlists. “Childlike Things” is an exploration of how we should let our inner child roam free. 

Striptease

Imogen: Twigs mixes sensuality with a Jersey beat to dance the night away. “Stiptease” removes the layers beyond the surface to reveal the unforgettable meaning of feeling alive.  The thundering rhythm meets the beats per minute that keeps everyone alive. The ending takes you on a “Fast and Furious” ride, bringing listeners to a glorious landing.

24hr Dog

Imogen: “24hr Dog” shifts the narrative to a romantic exploration of giving your all to someone else. This songs makes submissiveness its greatest strength with Twigs’ soft vocals and pieces together what goes into trust.

Wanderlust

Imogen: “Wanderlust” lands the plane with the ambiance of exiting a plane and entering an Dallass/ Fort Worth sized airport, offering listeners a unique listening experience. “Wanderlust” create an otherworldy atmosphere, using layered harmonies and a encompassing all that “Eusexua is a state of being,” (quote from Twig’s Eusexua Annoncement Post on Instagram) landing into a soft release to the feelings it encapsulates. 

Album Score

Imogen: “Eusexua” is rooted in the art of being human in a world that normalizes mob mentalities. Twigs gives listeners an offering to discover who they are.  “Eusexua” is more than an album, it’s almost therapeutic with its highs and lows of addressing humanity’s greatest unknowns.  I’m rating “Eusexua” a 10 out of 10. Twigs is “on the edge of something greater before” (excerpt from the end of Eusexua) with her flawless magnum opus, “Eusexua.”