“Just togetherness,” FKA twigs declared in an Instagram post as she characterized her highly anticipated quarantine mixtape in early January 2022. Following the release of lead single “tears in the club” featuring The Weeknd in mid-December 2021, FKA twigs — known by many simply as Twigs — delivered another expectation-topping and sonically-riveting album titled CAPRISONGS, with songs featuring the likes of Jorja Smith, Daniel Caesar, Shygirl and many more acclaimed artists.
Twigs is usually known for her emotionally heavy, melancholic projects like the critically acclaimed heartbreak anthem “cellophane” from her 2019 album MAGDALENE. With CAPRISONGS however, she newly expresses herself through afrobeat, U.K. drill and Jamaican dancehall songs like “jealousy,” “darjeeling” and “papi bones.” She also stays true to her melancholic roots in experimental and electronic tracks like “meta angel” and “thank you song.” CAPRISONGS is a beautiful blend of emotion that showcases the long awaited solace in Twigs’ heart-wrenching journey from abuse and heartbreak to self-realization and recovery, following her through euphoric dance tracks and electronic, melancholic ballads.
The album begins with dance track “ride the dragon” and the opening lyrics:
“Hey, I made you a mixtape
Because when I feel you, I feel me
And when I feel me, it feels good”
CAPRISONGS is dedicated to her friends, listeners and most importantly, herself. This opening song sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape: a self-celebrating exaltation in the face of painful life lessons.
The listener is guided by Twigs’ poetic wisdom, both through the lyrics and through recordings of conversations with friends. In the third track, “meta angel,” Twigs plays one of these recordings:
“The universe, like, the universe is so powerful
You’re gonna be more free, and you’re gonna love more
And you’re gonna have more fun (do you think so?)
And I’m telli — No, I don’t think so, I know so”
Invited into her world, the listener comfortably takes this advice in while angelic vocals play in the background. The unique production of “meta angel,” consisting of an ethereal backtrack, harsh percussion, trap beats and electronic autotuned climaxes, makes it a standout track on the album, widening the listener’s palate to the many facets of Twigs’ production.
Twigs is known for her ability to challenge convention and create indescribable genre blends in her music. “Pamplemousse” exemplifies this. The playful track revitalizes confidence, making the listener feel like the sexiest chick on the block, capturing everyone’s attention as they strut with their girls. The fast-paced dance track blends bubbly elements of pop and rapid drumming, opening a new gateway to experience confidence.
Similarly, in the Jamaican dancehall track “papi bones,” Twigs creates an insurmountable urge for the listener to dance and revel in their own beauty. Featuring Shygirl’s juicy lyricism, the song will always have the listener wining and grinding with their “spicy hot body” on the dancefloor — even when there is none.
The album continues on a slower and more heartfelt note as it reaches its 12th track, “careless,” featuring R&B singer Daniel Caesar. Twigs’ soothing, delicate voice and Caesar’s rich vocals complement each other divinely here. The ballad showcases the fragility one bears in a mutually infatuated relationship, teaching the listener that while vulnerability may invite heartbreak, it can also be a beautiful experience with potential for the heart to blossom.
CAPRISONGS ends on a touching note with “thank you song.” Twigs opens the song with a painful confessional:
“I wanted to die
I’m just being honest”
The listener is struck by the depth of her pain as she takes them along a journey from blunted piano chords to a brightly harmonized chorus. The album ends with expressions of deep gratitude to “love set in motion” by all those who have supported Twigs in her journey back to herself.
CAPRISONGS is a wondrous experience that is difficult to capture in words, sparking newfound feelings with every listen. It’s an album that fits any mood and will have Twigs’ fans dancing and celebrating, blinded by the tears in their eyes at her next concert. It’s a vital remedy for heartbreak, a loyal companion and a tear-jerking liberator that everyone should be listening to this year.
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