8/10
Ten months after EUSEXUA’s initial release, FKA twigs returns to further explore her self-coined term “eusexua,” which describes the euphoric feeling that club music gives her as she gets lost in its sounds and culture. Rather than focusing on the otherwordly sensations that going out once gave her, twigs now reflects on her impulsive encounters with a newfound sharpness, no longer blurred by the effects of eusexua. EUSEXUA Afterglow centers on the inner turmoil she faces when she knows what she wants in a partner, even as she continues to sabotage herself time and time again by settling for shallow, one-time flings.
twigs opens the album by reflecting on the internal battle of building a genuine relationship in “Love Crimes.” In the chorus, she puts that conflict into words, admitting that while the partner she’s found might be a physical match, they lack the emotional connection she needs. “You might be the one, but now I’m done / You don’t understand,” she sings. The “love crimes” she refers to are the internal struggle of choosing between rushing into love even when it’s not the right match, or waiting for someone who can fulfill her emotionally. Sonically, “Love Crimes” captures the sound of the entire album with its ambient tone, heavy bass, distorted base, and tuned up vocals, setting the foundation for the rest of the record.
“Wild And Alone (feat. PinkPantheress)” pushes this recurring question even further. It explores the idea of how fame has impeded twigs’ search for true love. Within the celebrity scene, she is constantly surrounded by people yet has never felt more alone, struggling to find a deep and meaningful connection. The artists around her only create for financial gain or fame, while she makes art that she truly feels passionate about, as seen in her experimental music that goes beyond the mainstream. If they were to give it up and live a life they were passionate about, maybe twigs would find the appeal. “But if you gave it up, it all / I’d love you if you were nobody,” she sings.
twigs brings PinkPantheress onto the track—an artist known for airy vocals and writing about similar emotional experiences. “And, yes, maybe I have troubles with devotion / Only on the stage ’cause I’ve got motion,” PinkPantheress sings on “Wild And Alone.” She admits that her job in the music industry causes her to be constantly busy, making it difficult to reciprocate the standards she expects from a partner.
“Touch A Girl” continues to examine the surface-level connection twigs finds when going out at night. Rather than the physical touch of a partner, twigs longs for vulnerability and honesty. In the moment, she is clouded by the feelings of eusexua she describes in her previous album, but after the night is over, she begins to see the truth and the lack of real chemistry between her and the person she’s just met. “Physically compatible / Emotionally detestable / Ask a question, and maybe you’ll know / How to really touch a girl,” she sings.
“Slushy,” “Cheap Hotel,” and “Lost All My Friends” all have dreamy, ambient, and seemingly distant sonics that create the inebriated and disconcerting feeling twigs evokes in the lyrics. “Slushy” is quite simple as she lists what she finds comfort in. “A slushy (A slushy) / The perfect home, a sweet goodbye / A lover’s eyes, oh / A honeycomb, a bowl of rice / A shoulder,” she sings.
“Cheap Hotel” and “Lost All My Friends,” however, describe the disorientation that follows after a long night out—echoing the slow, ambient glitch-pop textures she has channeled in her past EUSEXUA projects. The disorienting sounds and fluctuating speed throughout the song convey the idea that she may be under the influence and cannot think straight.
After multiple songs about her unsuccessful casual relationships, twigs turns inward to criticize her own actions in “Predictable Girl.” In the music video, twigs embodies two different figures riding a speeding motorcycle, tussling with each other for control and autonomy. They represent the different aspects of her personality: rationality and irrationality. twigs berates herself in the chorus by calling herself predictable. Although she knows she wants a caring and loving partner, she always finds herself making rash decisions and ending up with someone who does not meet her standards. “Predictable girl, you’ve done it again / You followed your heart then got lost in your head,” she sings. As the music begins to glitch and heighten in greater disarray, the two figures meld together to emphasize the constant conflict she finds herself in as the two sides of her fight for control.
twigs ends the album with her version of a ballad, “Stereo Boy,” built on heavy drums and dramatic glitchy sounds. Mixed with her desperate and yearning vocals, twigs conveys the feeling of hurt and heartache she feels when she finally snaps out of her eusexua-induced trance. After realizing that the partner she is infatuated with merely wants her for her body, she feels betrayed. Relating this feeling to a stereo, twigs uses the idea of static to represent lack of connection between her and the person she just met, as well as the calling of her true soulmate, somewhere far away. “I changed the station, but my pain, it still remained / ‘Cause you’re just a stereo boy,” she sings.
twigs continues to push the boundaries of experimentation through unique performances, unconventional production, and expressive songwriting. “EUSEXUA Afterglow” is a testament to her fearlessness in exploring the unknown, and her willingness to create contemporary art.
