FKA Twigs put me into a trance. I could not stop following her eyes and methodical dance moves, while hearing the voice of an angel. The evening with FKA Twigs at Palace Theater on November 14th was truly a spiritual experience for me.
Magdalene is FKA Twig’s second album that was released on November 9th and launched her tour with a show in St.Paul. It was exactly five years since she last performed at Palace Theater as she softly noted right before her very intimate song, mirrored hearts. It was nearly six years since her last EP release, EP2, and in her interviews and during the shows, she notes that she’s gone through various adult crises in this period of time, like heartbreak and a horrendous procedure due to fibroid tumors.
Before the show, I watched a fantastic interview released just three days before her tour with Zane Lowe that really dives deep into her new album and artistic process. She mentioned several times her mantra of “preparation +opportunity = success”. The preparation for this show and album was impeccable and I could not believe that she had started rehearsal for the concert just after that interview.
The show started off with… who would have guessed … tap dancing with a cheetah/boxer print and victorian style outfit.
Costume change two! FKA came out in a white feathered grand pirate hat. Sounds crazy because it was. She also had four dancers dressed in pink outfits on stage constantly impressing the shit out of the audience. It was truly unbelievable what the dancers and FKA were able to do together. Their powerful yet vulnerable dynamic was shown so well in one of my personal favorites, home with you, and of course for this song there had to be another futuristic outfit change.
FKA’s new song, home with you, talks about the parts of you that are lost and taken from others, often by loved ones, and explores the feeling of loneliness as a result of that. FKA was wearing a vibrant Victorian style dress mixed with different gold and blue fabrics paired with lace up black heel boots. The dancers wore barefaced monster-like masks while surrounding and taunting FKA. The monsters and FKA would go from needing each other to being afraid, mimicking the dynamics of an intense relationship. I felt so many ups and downs during this performance. I wasn’t sure whether to feel scared, sad, or hopeful for her. I think maybe it was supposed to be all three.
Then right before her performance of holy terrain, FKA whipped out a sword to perform Wushu, a Chinese martial art. FKA and swords??? This just further confirmed that yep…she’s a badASS. holy terrain had one of my favorite outfits, a purple/pink quilted sash hanging down the front of her body. The dancing in holy terrain was a lot different than the others, very loose and fun.
Soon after came the pole dancing. I’m going to be honest that this is one of the main reasons that I got into her art/music. FKA’s pole dancing is something else, graceful, powerful, and sexy. I almost went to a drop in pole dancing class this summer inspired by her. FKA has a very close relationship with this dance and the raw emotion she puts into it is just so incredible. She can also pole dance while wearing 8 inch clear platform stilettos which you can see closer up in her music video for cellophane.
Right before performing mirrored heart, FKA spoke to us in her soft melodic voice about her recent heartbreak and asked the audience if they have ever felt that before. Lots of love and words of affirmations were showered onto her and I felt so close to her in that moment. FKA Twigs expressed that mirrored heart always makes her cry and is one of the hardest to perform. “But I’m never gonna give up.Though I’m probably gonna think about you all the time.And for the lovers who found a mirrored heart.They just remind me I’m without you”
FKA Twig’s open heart as an artist and musician is truly something sacred. She is just like all of the strong women figures in history that she looks up to (i.e. Mary Magdalene) and inspires many young women like me to express ourselves in whatever way feels genuine and also gives agency in our lives.
To hear more check her out on Spotify or YouTube
Also, if you are feeling it, watch this experimental film while you listen to her music. It will literally change your life.
Set list:
Tap Dance
Hide
Water Me
Pendulum
Figure 8
Video Girl
thousand eyes(transition
Mary magdalene
Home with you
Sad day
Fallen alien (intro)
Fukk Sleep(shortened)
Holly terrain
Daybed
Mirrored heart
Papi Pacify
Lights On
Two Weeks
Cellophane
