FKA Twigs
FKA twigs (real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett) is an English singer, dancer and actor. Born January 17, 1988, she moved to south London aged 17, where she performed as a backing dancer before releasing her debut EP, appropriately titled EP1, in 2012. Naturally, EP2 followed a year later, and her refreshing debut album – titled, you guessed it, LP1 – came in 2014.
2014 also saw Barnett star on the cover of Dazed, besides earning a spot on the Dazed 100. LP1 met with critical acclaim and commercial success, with a nomination for the 2014 Mercury Prize. In 2015, she dropped the visual EP M3LL155X – featuring a cameo from Michèle Lamy – that showcased her experimental, avant-pop style.
Amid her growing success, Barnett faced a wave of racist hate and online abuse from Twilight fans after she started dating the film series’ star Robert Pattinson in 2014. Though the pair were subsequently engaged, they separated in 2017.
Twigs released MAGDALENE, an album documenting heartbreak and recovery, in 2019 after a lengthy hiatus. With production from the likes of Skrillex, Jack Antonoff, Nicolas Jaar, Oneohtrix Point Never and benny blanco, the record was led by singles “cellophane”, “holy terrain” (featuring Future), “home with you” and “sad day”. The same year, Barnett starred opposite Shia LaBeouf in his semi-autobiographical film Honey Boy. In late 2020, Barnett filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf, citing assault, sexual battery and “relentless abuse” across a months-long relationship that began on the Honey Boy set.
During coronavirus quarantine, Barnett says she recorded a new album with the musician and Rosalía producer El Guincho. In 2021, she released a new track titled “Don’t Judge Me” with Headie One and Fred again... The accompanying video, co-directed by Barnett and Black Is King filmmaker Emmanuel Adjei, features appearances from Munroe Bergdorf, Clara Amfo and Reni Eddo-Lodge alongside Kara Walker’s momentous Tate installation, Fons Americanus.
