On January 14th, art pop artist extraordinaire FKA twigs released her mixtape followup to her excellent 2019 album Magdalene. CAPRISONGS is an eclectic mix of everything FKA twigs has been able to make work in her career so far. The musical stylings are so varied, and FKA twigs seemingly one-ups herself on every single track. There’s so much to discuss here, so let’s just get right into it.

Right from the beginning, “ride the dragon” showcases FKA twigs at her most vulnerable and also most technically sound. Her flow on the second verse is phenomenal, and her vocal performance for the choruses is incredibly smooth. The instrumentation draws from myriad influences, and FKA twigs makes it all work for a cohesive sound that is equal parts sensual and danceable. 

“honda” has some cool nods to FKA twigs’ British upbringing, and Pa Salieu’s feature is really nice. There’s not much to the lyrics of this song other than getting high in a car and going home with someone, but the production on “honda” makes it feel like that is the only thing in the world. 

“meta angel,” though, has FKA twigs at her most brilliant in terms of vocal performance. Her singing on “ride the dragon” is fantastic, but “meta angel” has some incredible vocal technique, and the production helps. The use of autotune here is reminiscent of T-Pain or Lucy Dacus using autotune. The listener already knows that FKA twigs can sing. The autotune just enhances what is already there and adds an extra element that a natural voice can’t accomplish.

Next comes “tears in the club.” This was the first single from the mixtape, and the fact that it features The Weeknd seems to set it up for success. It’s a fantastic song, but I think there are actually better pieces of work on this mixtape. However, the music video shows that FKA twigs is multi-talented not just in the musical world, but in the dance realm as well. The choreography for the video (done by Sean Bankhead and Zoï Tatopoulos) is incredible, and FKA twigs knocks it out of the park.

“oh my love” is a great track about the confusion in modern dating habits. “pamplemousse” is one of the most experimental tracks in terms of production, and it’s one of the coolest moments on this mixtape. I wish it was longer than a minute and a half, but I agree with the sentiment of the spoken word at the end. When are you going to release “Why Don’t You Love Me Anymore” with Dua Lipa, FKA twigs? The world needs answers!

“lightbeamers” is a cool track, but there’s not very much new to say about it. There’s interesting production and incredible vocal work by FKA twigs. Which could be said for every track on this mixtape. The dancehall influence on “papi bones” works perfectly within the context of the mixtape, and it allows a more island-pop feel to breach the art pop world of the mixtape. “which way” has some incredible synthesizers that match the vocals, and FKA twigs proves how self-aware she is by referring to the song as “elevator music but you’re going to the fiftieth floor.” There’s cool stuff, but it’s not as intriguing as other tracks here.

“jealousy” was released as the second single, and with great reason. Nigerian artist Rema has a phenomenal feature, and the production is so incredible. Much like “papi bones,” there is a dancehall/Afrobeat influence, and that kind of island-pop suits FKA twigs when she wants to be more “radio friendly.” The song is just fantastic, and I can’t really think of anything more to say that wouldn’t just be repeating praise.

“careless” is yet another phenomenal vocal performance from FKA twigs with a solid feature from Daniel Caesar, “minds of men” is operatic in the vocals while trap-influenced on the beat, and “darjeeling” is a heartrending song about the loneliness artists can feel within the London music scene. Just stopping there would be unfair, though. “darjeeling” also talks about how anyone can feel at home in London, and FKA twigs’ interpolation of “You’re Not Alone” for the chorus is perfect.

“thank you song” is the perfect closer for this mixtape. It’s so stripped back that it showcases the same emotional vulnerability that FKA twigs put forth on much of Magdalene – despite the fact that the production is more “radio friendly” –  and it also allows her to be open and honest about how she’s been feeling the past few years. It gets a little crazy towards the end, but that emotional vulnerability lingers long after the final chord of the song. It’s a beautiful closer.

There’s a lot to love about CAPRISONGS, and I definitely missed some elements of it. It’s a sprawling soundscape that covers ground from all of FKA twigs’ influences and homes, and I can’t recommend it enough. Definitely my personal favorite from the first two weeks of this young year. Check it out below and let us know what you think!

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Andrew Gardner Administrator

Obsessed with all things music. Currently finishing an MFA in Chicago. If you see me at a show, say hey!

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Andrew Gardner Administrator

Obsessed with all things music. Currently finishing an MFA in Chicago. If you see me at a show, say hey!