FKA Twigs released “Caprisongs” two days after her birthday in mid-January. Since it is a mixtape, the mixtape is not as fully realized as 2019’s “MAGDALENE” (which is a difficult task, anyways). Caprisongs is a rapid departure from the moody, religious-inspired, and deeply-emotional ballads of her last album. The 16-track mixtape is short, sweet, and full of groovy Afrobeat-inspired instrumentals. Each song takes on a new life and transitions into a different frequency.
Caprisongs acknowledges the sadness she’s currently experiencing, revels in it, but moves on to better times. FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, is in the midst of a legal battle with former boyfriend Shia LaBeouf. FKA Twigs sued the actor in 2020 for “sexual battery, assault, and emotional distress,” according to The New York Times and TMZ. MAGDALENE also touched on the racism she experienced from British media and “Twilight” fans while dating actor Robert Pattinson. Caprisongs is FKA Twig’s chance to celebrate and grow during her respective zodiac season.
Ever since its release, she has been dropping “caprivids”–short music video snippets that range from 1-4 minutes–for a majority of the songs. Her videos take on multiple tones. In “meta angel,” a driven Twigs climbs atop a building roof, loads up an arrow on her bow, and shoots another version of Twigs below; it signals the growth and moving on from an older mindset.
Of course, the most popular song “tears in the club” gets the highest budget video with the most runtime. It opens with her lying on the wet ground and being manhandled by background dancers before repelling them and dancing of her own volition. She is then joined by The Weeknd, who provides his signature falsetto, whose tears trail down his tears as he watches a figure performing in front of him. The figure is, of course, Twigs, who glides around an underwater pole in a cylindrical tank. The video ends with her back on the wet floor, showing that she is still struggling with building herself up.
“thank you song,” the final song on the mixtape, gets the latest caprivid. The video takes place on an empty bus, where only a large mythological guardian angel accompanies her. The song starts with an expression that she previously wanted to die. The song evolves into gratitude for making it through the worst parts of her life. The video ends with her embracing the figure as they embark on their ride home.
Despite her videos portraying every emotion on the spectrum, her personal life seems to be trending upwards. Though it isn’t confirmed, she seems to be in a healthy relationship with The 1975’s frontman Matt Healy. In a recent Instagram post, she revealed that she will be starring in Rupert Sanders’ remake of the 1994 film “The Crow.” If Caprisongs and its videos are signs of a better tomorrow for FKA Twigs, we fully support it.
