FKA Twigs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids FKA Twigs
FKA Twigs performing in May 2019
Background information
Birth name	Tahliah Debrett Barnett
Born	(1988-01-16) 16 January 1988 (age 37) Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Genres	Avant-pop electronic art pop R&B trip hop techno
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter dancer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Young XL Atlantic

Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born January 16, 1988), known as FKA Twigs (pronounced "F.K.A. twigs"), is an English singer, songwriter, and dancer. She started her career as a backup dancer for many famous musicians.

FKA Twigs released her first music, an EP called EP1, in 2012. Her first full album, LP1 (2014), was very successful. It reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. This album was also nominated for the Mercury Prize, a big music award. She then released another EP called M3LL155X in 2015.

After a break, she released her second album, Magdalene, in 2019. Later, she signed with Atlantic Records and released a mixtape called Caprisongs in 2022. Her music is known for mixing different styles, like electronic music, R&B, and avant-garde. Her third studio album, Eusexua, was released on January 24, 2025.

Early Life and Dance Career

Tahliah Debrett Barnett was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, on January 16, 1988. Her mother was a dancer and gymnast, and her father was a musician. She was raised by her mother and stepfather. She grew up in Cheltenham, which she described as a quiet town.

From a young age, she took lessons in opera and ballet. She also performed in school plays at St Edward's School. When she was 16, she started making music in youth clubs. At 17, she moved to South London to become a dancer. She studied at the BRIT School.

Later, she decided to focus more on music. She worked as a backup dancer in music videos for artists like Kylie Minogue, Ed Sheeran, and Jessie J. She appeared in Jessie J's videos for "Do It like a Dude" (2010) and "Price Tag" (2011). At 18, she began working with music producers to find her own unique sound.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out: 2012–2013

In 2012, Tahliah Barnett was featured on the cover of i-D magazine. She became known as "Twigs" because her joints would crack. She added "FKA" to her name when another music group called "the Twigs" asked her to change it. She has said that "FKA" doesn't stand for anything specific.

She released her first music, EP1, online in December 2012. She also posted videos for each song on YouTube. In August 2013, she released the video for her first single, "Water Me". The Guardian newspaper called her "the UK's best example of ethereal, twisted R&B."

Her second EP, EP2, came out in September 2013. It was produced by Barnett and Arca. Pitchfork gave EP2 a high rating. In December, she was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2014 award.

First Album and More EPs: 2014–2017

Barnett performing in March 2015

In April 2014, FKA Twigs was on the cover of The Fader magazine. She started writing her first album during a time of "self-hatred," which she said is normal for young people. On June 24, she released "Two Weeks", the first song from her new album.

Her first studio album, LP1, was released on August 6, 2014. The album received great reviews from critics. Time magazine praised her, saying she became "one of the most compelling acts in R&B." LP1 was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize. She then went on a world tour.

In March 2015, she released the video for "Glass & Patron," a song from her third EP. This EP, called M3LL155X, was released in 2015. It included five songs and four music videos, all directed by Barnett. The EP's title, M3LL155X, is pronounced "Melissa" and is named after her "personal female energy." This record also received strong praise from critics.

In 2016, Barnett released a new song and music video called "Good to Love." She also directed, narrated, and starred in a TV ad for Nike. She danced in an Apple ad for the HomePod.

Later Works: 2018–Present

Barnett performing in May 2019

In 2018, Barnett was featured on ASAP Rocky's album Testing. On April 24, 2019, she released "Cellophane", her first new song in a few years. In September, she announced her second album, Magdalene. It was released in November 2019 and received excellent reviews.

In 2020, she appeared in a video for the song "Sum Bout U" with rapper 645AR. The video for "Sad Day," directed by Hiro Murai, came out in August. In September, "Sad Day" won an award for best cinematography in a video.

In October, Barnett shared that she was finishing a new album. She worked on it with Spanish musician el Guincho and other artists, often meeting them through FaceTime calls. In November, she performed with Dua Lipa at a live concert.

On January 25, 2021, Barnett released the single "Don't Judge Me." She also talked about an upcoming album, saying it would have more collaborations than her previous work. She mentioned working with Rema and Pa Salieu. In July 2021, she directed a music video for Koreless.

In September 2021, Barnett confirmed her next project would be a mixtape. She worked with producers like el Guincho, Koreless, and Mike Dean. She also teased a song with Swedish rapper Yung Lean.

Barnett released "Measure of a Man" in November 2021, which was part of The King's Man film soundtrack. "Tears in the Club" featuring the Weeknd was released on December 16. This song was her first release with Atlantic Records. Her mixtape, Caprisongs, came out on January 14, 2022. It included songs with Pa Salieu, Daniel Caesar, and Jorja Smith. In March, Barnett received the Godlike Genius award at the 2022 BandLab NME Awards.

In June 2022, Barnett released "Killer." This song is about the risks taken for love and how heartbreak can shape a person. She performed it live at an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The music video for "Killer" was released on July 20, 2022.

In September 2023, Barnett performed a cover of Opus III's "It's a Fine Day" at Vogue World: London. In October, she introduced a new song called "Unearth Her." She later announced that many of her demo songs had been leaked. This caused her to delay her third studio album.

In August 2024, Barnett announced that her third studio album, Eusexua, would be released in January 2025. The title song came out on September 13, 2024. "Perfect Stranger" was released as the second single on October 17, and "Drums of Death" followed on November 14.

Musical Style and Influences

FKA Twigs has a soprano singing voice. Her music is often called "genre-bending" because it mixes many styles. These include electronic music, R&B, trip hop, and avant-garde. She also uses elements of afrofuturism in her songs and music videos.

Her work has been compared to artists like Kate Bush, Janet Jackson, and Massive Attack. Critics have noted her breathy vocals and electronic sounds. The Wall Street Journal called her "an heir to futuristic R&B muses." Variety described her music as "darkly avant-garde, aggressive and atmospheric."

FKA Twigs has said she doesn't feel limited by any music genre. She likes to experiment with sounds and create emotions with her voice. She mentioned finding her own way to play "punk" music. She enjoys industrial sounds and adding everyday noises like a car alarm to her songs.

She has talked about how people sometimes label her music as R&B just because of her race. She believes her music has many different influences, including classical music.

The first singers who inspired Barnett were Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marvin Gaye. When she started writing songs, she tried to make music like her favorite artists, such as Siouxsie and the Banshees. She has said that Germfree Adolescents by X-Ray Spex is her favorite album ever.

Personal Life

Health Journey

In December 2017, Barnett had surgery to remove fibroid tumors from her uterus. She described living with "a fruit bowl of pain every day." She praised other women who bravely live with this condition. In 2020, she started a vegan diet, believing it helped with her symptoms.

Relationships

Barnett was in a relationship with English actor Robert Pattinson from 2014 to 2017. She also dated American actor Shia LaBeouf from 2018 to 2019. From 2020 to 2022, she was in a relationship with English musician Matty Healy. As of 2023, Barnett is in a relationship with director and photographer Jordan Hemingway.

Activism

In 2022, Barnett supported the Musicians For Palestine pledge. This meant she would not perform in Israel due to the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.

Barnett also promoted a campaign called Sistah Space. This campaign encourages people to ask their local politicians to support Valerie’s Law. This law would provide special training for police and other groups when dealing with domestic abuse against Black women and girls.

In April 2024, Barnett spoke to the United States Senate about deepfakes and artificial intelligence. She asked for rules to be put in place for these technologies.

Discography

Studio Albums

• LP1 (2014)
• Magdalene (2019)
• Eusexua (2025)

EPs

• EP1 (2012)
• EP2 (2013)
• M3LL155X (2015)

Mixtapes

• Caprisongs (2022)

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Appearances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: FKA Twigs para niños