Review/ FKA Twigs: Cellophane

Bethany Marris -

By Bethany Marris, Online Music Editor

FKA Twigs releases first solo track since 2016, 'Cellophane'.

In May 2018 FKA Twigs announced that she had undergone laparoscopic surgery to remove 6 fibroid tumours. Tumours the size of ‘cooking apples’ and ‘kiwis’ that had caused her excruciating pain daily. To most, Twigs is defined by her unique sound, with tracks such as ‘Two Weeks’ and ‘Pendulum’ characterised by distorted, atmospheric vocals and audacious electronic production. However, the artist’s involvement with the UK music scene began as she moved to London to pursue a career as a backing dancer for the likes of Plan B, Ed Sheeran and Dionne Bromfield at the age of 17. For any dancer; the body is an invaluable tool of expression. The capacity to contort, glide and stretch with utter control is intrinsic to the art, and any threat to physical wellbeing could be career threatening.

As Beyonce notes in acclaimed Live Album 'Homecoming', performing is about infusing your movement with feeling, 'it's your own personality that brings it to life, and that's hard when you don't feel like yourself'.

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dear friends, I am a very private person as u all know and I have gone back and forth in my mind whether to share that this year I have been recovering from laparoscopic surgery to remove 6 fibroid tumours from my uterus. the tumours were pretty huge, the size of 2 cooking apples 🍎 🍎, 3 kiwis 🥝 🥝 🥝 and a couple of 🍓🍓. a fruit bowl of pain everyday. the nurse said that the weight and size was like being 6 months pregnant. I tried to be brave but it was excruciating at times and to be honest I started to doubt if my body would ever feel the same again. I had surgery in December and I was so scared, despite lots of love from friends and family I felt really alone and my confidence as a woman was knocked. but... today whilst dancing with Kelly at the choreography house I felt like my strong self again for the first time in a while and it was magical. thank you precious body for healing, thank you for reminding me to be kind to myself, you are a wonderful thing, now go create and be other once again <3 I know that a lot of women suffer from fibroid tumours and I just wanted to say after my experience that you are amazing warriors and that you are not alone. you can get through this. and with this I let go of the pain... love always twigs 🌱

A post shared by FKA twigs (@fkatwigs) on

This week, FKA Twigs released her first track since 2016, ‘Cellophane’. In a simple yet passionately executed articulation of vulnerability, we hear the artist’s voice in its most authentic form. Moreover, the track’s accompanying video, produced in collaboration with Andrew Thomas Huang, exhibits Twigs commanding the pole with power and grace; a talent of which her Instagram leads us to believe has been refined post-surgery. With luxurious, introspective lyricism and exquisite choreography, Twigs marks her comeback through an awe-inspiring statement of emotional and physical strength.

Featured Image: FKA Twigs / Cellophane

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