Album Review: Magdalene by FKA twigs

I am a big fan of Kate Bush, and I am a big fan of Tori Amos. Without those two I'm not sure we have FKA Twigs but here we are and every time I listen to her I try and figure out if I like her music or don't like her music. The thing about Twigs that makes it difficult is that she has taken the basic ideas and concepts that Amos and Bush both sang so much about in their lyrics and pushed it to an artistic level that goes beyond just being a singer with music and lyrics. Kate Bush always had an artistic vision for her work as well, but Twigs has gone all in on being an artist first and a musician second.

So then the question becomes not do you like the music but do you like the art. Like much art it is very complex and requires a lot of listens and to be honest of reading song lyrics because it is hard to pickup everything she is saying on the album. So here is what I'll say. If you want to have a fully formed 2019 pop art experience delve into this album, watch the videos and see what you think. I purposefully did not include any of the videos that she has made for this album because they are a bit out there and felt more comfortable here with just including the music. If you do go down this path to dive in, definitely take the time to read the lyrics. She is a very thoughtful artist and has something to say even if it is in the abstract and you have to decipher it. For me I give this album 1 out of 5 stars.

I would rate the art much higher but my reviews here are more about music I like and want to listen to time and again. For instance this album is very much about the pain and turmoil of a relationship and the role that the woman plays in relationships. It is a deep dive into someone's emotions around a romantic relationship. If I want that album this year I would go to Shura's album Forevher. It happens to be an upbeat album about love and relationships but it is also a deep dive into someone's emotions around a romantic relationship, and musically I think it is accomplished much better.