FKA twigs: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
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Published 2022-06-10
LaTesha Harris | June 10, 2022
To see her is to appreciate a rare portrait. To watch her dance and hear her sing is to fall, entranced, into an uncanny haze. Both snake and its charmer, British Jamaican multidisciplinary artist FKA twigs is a new-age priestess. Surrounded by flames of offering in the hallowed halls of London's St. Matthias Church, the Grammy-nominated artist and her three-piece supporting band deliver a sermon on the perils of devotion. In her three-song Tiny Desk (home) concert -- featuring soul-baring ballads like “home with you” and “cellophane” -- she honors the strength of vulnerability; her operatic soprano ignites and delivers catharsis.
After working as a backup dancer with hopes of transitioning to singing, FKA twigs released two EPs before achieving widespread critical acclaim with her debut studio album, 2014’s LP1, and its lead single, “Two Weeks.” A classically trained singer, FKA twigs makes music that blends deceptively demure vocals with otherworldly trip-hop beats. She perfected this signature avant-garde sound on her sophomore album, 2019’s MAGDALENE, establishing herself as a direct musical descendent of iconic innovators like Kate Bush and Janet Jackson. Fresh off the success of her recent mixtape, CAPRISONGS, FKA Twigs blesses viewers with a performance of her latest song, “killer.”
SET LIST
“home with you”
“killer”
“cellophane”
MUSICIANS
FKA twigs: vocals
Kelly Nicole Moran: piano
Damsel Elysium: double bass, violin
Lucinda Chua: cello
CREDITS
Director: Aidan Zamiri
Producer: Aidan Robert Brooks
Executive Producer: Morgan Clement
PA: Fluer
Director of Photography: Jake Hunter
AC: George Power
AC: Mac Christie
Gaffer: Alex Cullen
Spark: Ben Alder
Art Director: Alan Scott
Art Assistant: Tasneem Elnayal
Music Director: Bubbleman
Sound Engineer: Johnny Williams
Creative Producer: Pia Ashcroft
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Producer: Joshua Bryant
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Animation: Kaz Fantone
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame, Michael Zamora, Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
#tinydesk #tinydeskconcert #fkatwigs
All Comments (21)
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thanks for watching, killer is out now 🥀
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cellophane is so powerful. don’t matter how many times she is going to sing it, I’m gonna cry in all those times
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Allowing commercials to interrupt this flawless performance should be a crime against humanity.
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She turned the tiny desk into a Shakespearean play. Just fantastic! Ethereal black beauty.
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If you told me that FKA twigs actually lives in this church and that this is a genuine home concert, I'd just say okay
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3 years already and the "i never told you I was lonely too" kills me every time still
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As a victim of domestic violence, I am so grateful for fka twigs. Looking back on my abuse experiences I feel like she has been with me as a friend, a safe harbor, and an inspiration. I was lucky enough to get out of that situation. I stand with you Tahliah. Thank you for saving me countless times.
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I imagine if sirens existed they'd sound like fka twigs
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she turned into a tremendous vocalist. you can hear that she studied voice and it's very disciplined as she is in everything she does.
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Shes not just a great vocalist. Its the way her songs are produced... her use of crescendo, slurs, and a lot of different vocal techniques. Her music always feel fresh and new. What a talent.
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give this woman all her flowers. that was a spiritual viewing.
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She mixes the honesty and raw feeling of Bjork with the the wild expression and creativity of Kate Bush. I love FKA Twigs so much <3
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I'm a 72 year old man always popping into NPR Tiny Desk but dear god never expected this. What a voice, beautiful and her back up superb hope to hear more. -
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She's got a point, she's an icon, she's a legend and she is the moment.
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The first “I didn’t know that you were lonely” hits SO NUCH
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The vocals are superb, the band sounds heavenly, the staging is otherworldly, but her STAGE PRESENCE? The way she just looks into the camera from time to time, knowing she's looking into your very soul. Her posture, the subtle movements, the way she lets the song move her but is still in such command of the performance. All just SITTING there. This is a MASTERCLASS in performance.
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When she gripped the microphone during cellophane I literally had to stop and take a deep breath knowing what was to come
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seeing such raw emotion come out during "Cellophane" felt like such an honor, made me want to cry, sing along with her, and hold her all at the same time. you can tell that song came out of such a real and painful experience, it hurts to see how it hurt her, but is inspiring to see how strong she is to overcome it still.
