FKA twigs’ “EUSEXUA” is mismatched ode to eurodance.
FKA twigs’ “EUSEXUA” is mismatched ode to eurodance.
“EUSEXUA” is a confusing album.
Released Jan. 24, “EUSEXUA” was conceived on the dancefloors of Prague nightclubs. There, FKA twigs discovered a pulsating energy that would become the heartbeat of her latest record.
If its aim was to evoke euphoria, it falters in indulging heavier trance beats.
The titular “Eusexua” unfurls with arpeggiated electronic pulses. The austere beat is layered with drawn-out, reverberated vocals to create a dreamlike soundscape.
The track captures the essence of eusexua, a word coined by twigs to describe the interplay between euphoria and sensuality, according to The New York Times.
“And if they ask you, say you feel it / But don’t call it love, eusexua / Do you feel alone? / You’re not alone,” twigs sings.
The ensuing “Girl Feels Good” is an uplifting, but less intimate rendition of “Girl, so confusing” from Charli xcx’s “brat.” Much of “EUSEXUA” boasts recurrent beats, though it’s more a problem with techno subgenres prioritizing repetition — not twigs’ artistry.
Released Oct. 17, “Perfect Stranger” is a slow-burning pop track. The song’s deliberate pacing spotlights its introspective lyrics about falling in love.
“I don’t know your friends or your ex’s name / Who left who or who took the blame / I don’t know and I don’t care,” twigs sings.
The album’s final single, “Drums of Death,” puts listeners in a grim trance with help from featured EDM artist Koreless. The percussion-heavy rhythm and vocal glitches are gloomy yet groovy.
“Room Of Fools” suffers from tiresome, rehashed ideas. The beat bears a striking remembrance to “Perfect Stranger,” yet the lyrics are too bland to save the melody.
“Stranger / In a dark room / Dancing / Almost lost you,” twigs sings.
“Sticky” is another low point for the album. While the lyrics radiate more substance, describing an intimate relationship, the song itself moves at a sluggish pace with unvaried percussion up until a beat drop in the last 30 seconds.
The forgettable experience is carried into the subsequent “Keep It, Hold It,” which bears the same leisurely progression — lacking any dynamic shift or compelling moments to distinguish it from its predecessors.
Moving from the album’s dour core, “Childlike Things” is a playful, exuberant tune about indulging inner childhood and has an equally zany feature from North West.
West’s feature contains Japanese lyrics preaching Christianity retain no relation to the rest of the song.
“Striptease” finally allows twigs to flex her vocal prowess, quickly vacillating her voice up and down to match the song’s fluid rhythm.
The penultimate “24hr Dog” abruptly cuts the momentum of “Striptease,” dragging the energy back down to the same uninspired lull of “Room of Fools.”
Closing the album, “Wanderlust” fixes the missteps of previous tracks. The song slowly evolves into a subtle jungle beat that invites listeners to dance along without overshadowing its emotionally resonant lyrics.
“See me when I’m here, but I’m not lost / In the pure wanderlust / Give me pure wanderlust,” twigs sings.
What “EUSEXUA” offered was occasionally inconsistent, but it still had enough standout singles to showcase her evolution as an artist.
“EUSEXUA” is available on all major streaming platforms.
Get the Loyola Phoenix newsletter straight to your inbox!
