Now Playing… is a biweekly column that releases every other Friday at 5 p.m. EST. Every other week, I will spotlight a lesser-known song or artist from a variety of genres. It will be a bit of music analysis, arts education, blogging, and more. Love it or hate it, I won’t let you down at exposing you to the cool art that is being made today from songs, to music videos, to live performances. If you’re also a cool young person constantly on the search for new music, let me supplement your listening diet!

Who are they?

Wonderfully thought-out and captivating music videos are nothing new to FKA twigs, but even when she takes a pared-down approach, the impact is still felt. With her 2022 album CAPRISONGS, the visualizers were the perfect accompaniment to her musical expansion. 

FKA twigs is not a small musician by any means, but I wanted to highlight her other excellent musical offerings. While she may be known for her tragic breakup ballads, CAPRISONGS represents a shift into self-love while keeping her penchant for self-reflection constant. The album focuses on healing after a breakup and focusing on oneself, and striving to become better — all themes of a Capricorn. Instead of asking “Why didn’t I do it for you?” the TikTok viral lyric that comes from her 2019 song “cellophane,” she is confident, saying in the track “oh my love,” “I could be with anyone!” 

Tied together with astrology, this album is an exploration and look into FKA twigs, the artist and the person.

What’s playing this week?

 “honda” — FKA twigs ft. Pa Salieu

 “meta angel” — FKA twigs 

Why these songs and music videos?

honda

The music video for “honda” is so good, and not just because of what FKA twigs and her crew went through to make it. In the behind the scenes, it shows that she is perched on a stationary bike attached on top of a vehicle, zooming through the actual streets. I’m so glad she did that; the speed of the music video and the incorporation of traffic sounds, trucks whooshing by, and car honking really makes the song for me.

I never thought of those sounds as musical, but it added so much to the listening experience and soundscape. It’s interesting, experimental, and fully immerses us into new ways of music making. 

Also, I love when the visuals of a music video actually work well to enhance the music — so much so that I prefer to watch the music video rather than just listen to the song on its own. It matches the song’s pacing and creates an addictive audiovisual experience, especially this part:

“Interplay in my vicinity, we are the synergy (yeah)
I-I see the way that you walk in the centre
The centre is King Salieu makin’ way (uh)
Eyes in the (back), never be (slack), energy (sweet) feelin’ me”

With internal rhyme, end rhyme, and repetition in rapid succession, it is not only satisfying to hear, but to repeat and memorize. To me, it’s the perfect driving song — next to “Tokyo Drift,” of course.

meta angel

Another stand out from the visualizer series is “meta angel,” where FKA twigs hunts down herself with a bow and arrow. The long distance camera shots and drone footage of the arrow are so engaging, and watching her body squirm after the arrow lodges itself in the distance is very much like viewing the death of prey through the eyes of a hunter. 

When the stand out lyrics of the song are “I get confused by what I really want,” it perfectly visualizes the idea that sometimes, we are our own worst enemy. Is murdering yourself ego death?

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Missed the last rendition of Now Playing…? Read it here!

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