FKA Twigs
FKA twigs | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Tahliah Debrett Barnett |
Born | Gloucestershire, England | 16 January 1988
Genres | |
Occupations | |
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels | Young Turks |
Website | fkatwi |
Tahliah Debrett Barnett[1] (born 16 January 1988), better known by her stage name FKA twigs, is an English singer-songwriter and dancer originally from Gloucestershire[2] and currently based in London.[3] "FKA" stands for "Formerly Known As".[4][5] Her debut album, LP1, was released in August 2014.
Background
Tahliah Barnett was born in Gloucestershire.[6] Her father is Jamaican, and her mother, who used to be a dancer and a gymnast, is part English and Spanish.[7] She grew up in a rural part of Gloucestershire, and she has described the county as "kind of in the middle of nowhere."[7] She attended St. Edward's School, Cheltenham.[8]
At the age of 17, Twigs moved to London to pursue a career as a dancer.[9] She worked as a backup dancer in music videos by artists such as Kylie Minogue, Ed Sheeran, and Taio Cruz.[10] She was a backup dancer for Jessie J in her 2010 video for "Do It like a Dude",[2] and appeared again in her 2011 video for "Price Tag".[11] In 2011, she appeared in a two-minute BBC comedy sketch titled Beyonce Wants Groceries, in which she was a backup dancer in a supermarket.[2] In August 2012, Twigs was photographed for the cover of i-D magazine.[12]
She became known as Twigs for the way her joints crack.[7] She added the acronym FKA (Formerly Known As) to her name when another artist called Twigs complained about her use of the name.[7]
Musical career
Twigs self-released her music debut, EP1 on Bandcamp on 4 December 2012. She posted a video for each song on her YouTube channel.[2] On 1 August 2013, Twigs released the video for her first single "Water Me" on YouTube.[13] The video was directed by Jesse Kanda.[14] On 6 August 2013, The Guardian profiled Twigs for their "New Band of the Day" feature, describing her as "the UK's best example to date of ethereal, twisted R&B."[5]
Twigs' second extended play, EP2, was released through the Young Turks record label on 10 September 2013.[15] It was produced by Twigs and Arca. Pitchfork gave EP2 a rating of 8/10.[3] In December 2013, she was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2014 prize, and was chosen by Spotify for their Spotlight on 2014 list.[16][17] Twigs was then featured on Billboard's 14 Artists to Watch in 2014.[18]
In April 2014, Twigs appeared on the cover of The Fader for its 91st issue.[19] She then directed and starred in the music video for "Ouch Ouch" by rapper Lucki Eck$. She also produced the track.[20] Twigs' debut album, LP1, was released in August 2014 through Young Turks.[21]
Discography
- LP1 (2014)
References
- ^ "FKA twigs complete name". Genes Reunited.
- ^ a b c d Barna, Ben (11 September 2013). "FKA Twigs Factsheet: Everything We Know About the Shadowy Singer". Bullett Media. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ a b "FKA twigs: EP2 | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Album Review: FKA Twigs – EP2". Consequence of Sound. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ a b Paul Lester. "New band of the day (FKA twigs 1,569) | Music". theguardian.com. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "results for "Tahliah Barnett" in England & Wales Births 1837-2006". www.genesreunited.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Rising: FKA twigs". Pitchfork. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ "Cheltenham songstress FKA Twigs shortlisted for prestigious music award". Gloucestershire Echo. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ Artist Biography by Heather Phares. "FKA Twigs | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ Carrie Battan (22 July 2014). "Interviews: FKA twigs". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ "Video : FKA Twigs "Water Me"". praythemusic.com. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ "Bleach Hair Salon". Bleachlondon.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "FKA twigs - Water Me". YouTube. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "FKA twigs – "Water Me" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "FKA twigs - EP2 / Young Turks". Theyoungturks.co.uk. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Sound of, 2014 - FKA twigs". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Spotify reveals the artists under the Spotify Spotlight for 2014 | Spotify Press". Press.spotify.com. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "14 Artists to Watch in 2014". Billboard. 13 January 2014.
- ^ "FKA Twigs: Power Play". The FADER. The FADER. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ^ Golden, Zara. "Watch FKA Twigs' Transcendental Video for Lucki Eck$ "Ouch Ouch"". Fader. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- ^ "FKA twigs Announces Debut Album LP1".