| November 20, 2019 | Krissia Palomo | campus editor |
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FKA twigs continues to defy the norms of alternative pop music with her second studio album “MAGDALENE,” titled after Mary Magdalene, a Biblical figure known for being a repentant of her sins after finding Jesus.
In an interview with i-D, FKA twigs said “MAGDALENE” is about “every lover I have ever had, and every lover I am going to have.”
The only artist featured on “MAGDALENE” is Future, which gives FKA twigs the room to show off her lyrical capability and experiment in ways she never has before. However, the album could have done without features. FKA twigs is versatile enough to carry the entire production by herself. Listening to Future talk about his wrongdoings as a male while asking for forgiveness is an experience that listeners don’t get from any other alternative pop album.
The best track on the album is undoubtedly “mary magdalene” and would make the perfect opener for FKA twigs’ upcoming album tour. The song signals the point in the album where FKA twigs is ready to rise above all heartbreak and begin putting herself first. She is able to see herself as any man’s equal rather than inferior to them despite what society says to devalue women.
FKA twigs saves the slowest songs for last, making the album’s lead single “cellophane” the last track. The song’s lyrics make her sound like she is begging to stay in a doomed one-sided relationship, and her sudden desperation leads the audience to wonder what happened to make her end the album on such a sad note.
Sonically, the album is as experimental as it gets. FKA twigs hasn’t commented on whether she took inspiration from other artists’ works. Still, the album bears resemblances to Lorde’s “Melodrama,” Lana Del Rey’s “Ultraviolence” and Banks’ “III” in different aspects.
For fans of upbeat pop music, this is the perfect album to wander into a more ominous realm where lyrical contents are left up for interpretation, and the artist is not trying to relate to the listener but rather share her pain and tales of growth while making sure songs are replay-worthy.
With FKA twigs’ soft yet powerful vocals and impactful lyrics, the album is one of the best releases in what seems to be an underwhelming year for music.
