LP1 (FKA Twigs album) explained

LP1
Type:studio
Artist:FKA Twigs
Cover:FKA twigs - LP1.png
Recorded:2013–2014
Studio:Emile Haynie's Studio
Label:Young
Producer:
Prev Title:EP2
Prev Year:2013
Next Title:M3LL155X
Next Year:2015

LP1 is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, released on 11 August 2014 by Young Turks. Production for the album is handled by FKA Twigs herself, alongside Emile Haynie, Arca, Cy An, Devonté Hynes, Clams Casino, Paul Epworth, Sampha and Tic.

Upon release, LP1 received widespread critical acclaim, and placed high on several year-end critics' lists. The album spawned three singles: "Two Weeks", "Pendulum" and "Video Girl". The album was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize and the award for Best Recording Package at the 2015 Grammy Awards.

Background

FKA Twigs (then known simply as Twigs) self-released her debut extended play, EP1, on Bandcamp on 4 December 2012.[1] Music videos were filmed for each of the four tracks and released on her YouTube channel.[2] [3] On 6 August 2013, The Guardian profiled FKA Twigs for their "New Band of the Day" feature, describing her as "[t]he UK's best example to date of ethereal, twisted R&B."[4]

FKA Twigs's second extended play, EP2, was released through the Young Turks record label on 17 September 2013.[5] It was produced by FKA Twigs and Arca.[6] In December 2013, she was nominated for the BBC Sound of 2014, and was chosen by Spotify for their Spotlight on 2014 list.[7] [8] FKA Twigs was featured on Billboards 14 Artists to Watch in 2014.[9]

Composition and lyrics

On LP1, Twigs expands her avant-pop landscape, yielding "boundaries-pushing" pop music. It also dons a large electronic component. Indeed, Entertainment Weekly felt that without Twigs' voice, it would be a work of avant-garde electronics. It is seen for its "glitchy futuristic" take on R&B, casting the genre in "thrilling hyper-real hues". Stereogum saw Twigs' music as "fluid" experimental R&B, while Q saw it as an "uncanny" fusion of indie R&B with "nervy" trip hop.

Lyrically, LP1 deals with themes of sex,[10] sexual relations and intimacy.[11]

Singles

The lead single from LP1, "Two Weeks", was released on 24 June 2014 as a digital download and on 29 July 2014 as a 12-inch single, the latter featuring the song "Pendulum" as a B-side.[12] [13] The music video was directed by Nabil Elderkin and premiered on 24 June 2014.[14] "Pendulum" was released digitally as the album's second single on 30 July 2014.[15] The self-directed music video for the song premiered on 14 January 2015 and depicts FKA Twigs tied up with her own hair.[16]

"Video Girl", a track inspired by Twigs' experiences following her appearance in Jessie J's "Price Tag" music video,[17] was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2014 as the album's third and final single.[18] The accompanying music video was directed by Kahlil Joseph and premiered on 29 October 2014. The black-and-white video sees FKA Twigs dancing for a prisoner on death row, and features a cameo appearance from rapper Travis Scott.[19] [20]

Critical reception

LP1 received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 86, based on 38 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[21] Miles Raymer of Entertainment Weekly stated, "A singular kind of diva who asserts herself subtly, twigs sings in a near whisper that often threatens to blend in with the instruments behind it. But she exerts enough of a magnetic pull to lure listeners into some challenging territory".[22] Christopher Hooton of The Independent wrote that "while sultry, drug-addled R&B is an increasingly crowded genre, Twigs takes a hammer to the kind that The Weeknd made famous and plays in the rubble." Hooton continued, "FKA Twigs emerges the high priestess of R&B's latest corruption, and the world will kneel at the altar."[23] Kyle Fowle of The A.V. Club commended FKA Twigs for "manag[ing] to craft a cohesive aesthetic that draws on modern R&B and electronic while also remaining inventive", concluding, "Few debuts possess such control and ambition all in one; LP1 is the rare album that manages to sound both lived in and completely futuristic."[24] AllMusic's Heather Phares noted the album contains "a lusher sound that's more accessible, and more overtly R&B, than FKA Twigs' earlier work but maintains its ethereal sensuality", adding that "FKA Twigs' music was already so fully realized that LP 1 can't really be called Barnett coming into her own; rather, her music has been tended to since the 'Water Me' days, and now it's flourishing."[25]

Jonathan Zwickel of Spin described the album as "unconventional stuff, drug-like, elemental and extraterrestrial" and opined, "In its menacing incandescence, LP1 sounds like nothing else in the world right now."[26] Pitchforks Philip Sherburne praised LP1 as a "huge album" and a "monumental debut", while writing that "FKA twigs is not a masterful lyricist, at least not yet; some of her couplets feel clunky, like she's grasping in the dark for rhymes and coming up with the objects closest to hand [...] But when she zeroes in on the essence of a thing, she hits hard."[27] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian viewed the album as "a singular piece of work in an overcrowded market", and expressed that it "has its flaws [...] but you leave it convinced that FKA Twigs is an artist possessed of a genuinely strong and unique vision, one that doesn't need bolstering with an aura of mystique."[28] Hazel Sheffield of NME commented that the album "impresses with its futuristic vision of R&B" and remarked that FKA Twigs's "pervading sense of control and commitment to her art proves that Twigs is set on building the sound of the future all by herself."[29] Felicity Martin of Clash stated, "Fragile, heavenly and utterly compelling; this debut paves the way for boundaries-pushing pop. This is music that shatters you with a single tap."[30] Q praised the music as an "uncanny" hybrid variously recalling "indie R&B... and nervy trip hop".[31] Rolling Stones Julianne Escobedo Shepherd found the album to be "far more substantial" than FKA Twigs's two previously released EPs, adding that her "deconstructed shards of U.K. grime and garage land heavier, while elegiac vocals soften the songs without blunting their edge."[32]

Accolades

On 19 August 2014, LP1 was included at number 87 on Pitchforks list of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far.[33] The album was shortlisted for the 2014 Mercury Prize.[34] It was also nominated for Best Recording Package at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.[35] In late 2014, LP1 was voted the fifth best record of 2014 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published by The Village Voice.[36]

Publication! scope="col"
ListRank
The 20 Best Albums of 20146[37]
ClashTop 40 Albums of 20141[38]
CMJThe 30 Best Albums of 20142[39]
ComplexThe 50 Best Albums of 201410[40]
CosmopolitanThe 20 Best Albums of 201418[41]
Best 50 Albums of 201417[42]
Drowned in Sound50 Favourite Albums of 201415[43]
Entertainment Weekly10 Best Albums of 20149[44]
FactThe 50 Best Albums of 201416[45]
The Best Albums of 20143[46]
The 23 Best Albums of 2014[47]
Mojo50 Best Albums of 20149[48]
musicOMHTop 100 Albums of 20145[49]
NMETop 50 Albums of 201421[50]
PasteThe 50 Best Albums of 201435[51]
PitchforkThe 50 Best Albums of 20142[52]
PopMattersThe 80 Best Albums of 20148[53]
QTop 50 Albums of 20148[54]
Albums of the Year 201411[55]
Rolling Stone50 Best Albums of 201416[56]
Slant MagazineThe 25 Best Albums of 20147[57]
SpinThe 50 Best Albums of 201421[58]
StereogumThe 50 Best Albums of 20149[59]
TimeTop 10 Best Albums of 20141[60]
Time Out LondonThe 30 Best Albums of 20147[61]
UncutThe Top 75 Albums of the Year4[62]
Under the RadarTop 140 Albums of 201413[63]
VultureThe 32 Best Pop Albums of 201415[64]
Publication! scope="col"
ListRank
AllMusicThe AllMusic Decade in Review
The A.V. ClubThe 50 best albums of the 2010s
Beats Per MinuteBPM's Top 50 Albums of the 2010s
ConsequenceThe Top 100 Albums of the 2010s
Crack MagazineThe top 100 albums of the decade
MixmagThe 72 best albums of the decade 2010-2019
PaperPAPER's Top 10 Albums of the '10s
PasteThe 100 Best Albums of the 2010s
PitchforkThe 200 Best Albums of the 2010s
Resident Advisor2010-19: Albums Of The Decade
Slant MagazineThe 100 Best Albums of the 2010s
StereogumThe 100 Best Albums Of The 2010s
UproxxAll The Best Albums Of The 2010s, Ranked
ViceThe 100 Best Albums of the 2010s

Commercial performance

LP1 debuted at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 4,051 copies in its first week.[65] In the United States, the album debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 10,370 copies.[66] As of August 2015, the album had sold 77,000 copies in the United States.[67]

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of LP1.[68]

Musicians

Technical

Artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2014–2015)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[69] 109

Year-end charts

Chart (2014)! scope="col"
Position
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[70] 17
Chart (2015)! scope="col"
Position
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[71] 10

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatEditionLabel
Japan6 August 2014CDStandardHostess[72]
Australia8 August 2014Young Turks[73] [74]
Germany[75] [76] [77]
LP + 7-inchLimited deluxe[78]
IrelandStandardYoung Turks[79] [80]
France11 August 2014[81] [82]
United Kingdom[83] [84] [85]
LP + 7-inchLimited deluxe[86]
United States12 August 2014StandardXL[87] [88]
Australia15 August 2014LPStandardYoung Turks[89]
France18 August 2014[90]
LP + 7-inchLimited deluxe[91]
United States25 August 2014LPStandardXL[92]
LP + 7-inchLimited deluxe[93]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fitzmaurice . Larry . FKA twigs: "Breathe" . . 5 December 2012 . 15 December 2014.
  2. Web site: Barna . Ben . FKA Twigs Factsheet: Everything We Know About the Shadowy Singer . Bullett Media . 11 September 2013 . 6 January 2014 . 30 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150630012214/http://bullettmedia.com/article/fka-twigs-factsheet/ . dead .
  3. Web site: Zeichner . Naomi . Video: Twigs, "Weak Spot" . . 5 December 2012 . 15 December 2014.
  4. Web site: Lester . Paul . Paul Lester . New band of the day (FKA twigs 1,569) . . 11 August 2013 . 6 January 2014.
  5. Web site: YT098 – FKA – EP2 . . 6 January 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140823052317/http://theyoungturks.co.uk/catalogue/view/ep2 . 23 August 2014.
  6. Web site: Neyland . Nick . FKA twigs: EP2 . Pitchfork . 19 September 2013 . 6 January 2014.
  7. Web site: BBC Sound Of, 2014 – FKA twigs . . 15 December 2014.
  8. Web site: Spotify reveals the artists under the Spotify Spotlight for 2014 . . 6 December 2013 . 15 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141215055226/https://press.spotify.com/no/2013/12/06/spotify-reveals-the-artists-under-the-spotify-spotlight-for-2014/ . 15 December 2014.
  9. 14 Artists to Watch in 2014 . . 13 January 2014 . 15 December 2014.
  10. Web site: Geffen . Sasha . 2014-08-12 . FKA twigs: LP1 Review . 2022-07-29 . . en.
  11. Web site: Fowle . Kyle . 2014-08-12 . FKA Twigs gets sultry, ambitious, and inventive on her debut . 2022-07-29 . The A.V. Club . en-us.
  12. Web site: Two Weeks (Explicit Content – Parental Advisory) by FKA twigs . . United Kingdom . 15 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140801175149/http://www.7digital.com/artist/fka-twigs/release/two-weeks-explicit-content-%E2%80%93-parental-advisory . 1 August 2014.
  13. Web site: YT123 – FKA twigs – Two Weeks / Pendulum . Young Turks . 15 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150206001758/http://theyoungturks.co.uk/catalogue/view/two-weeks-pendulum . 6 February 2015.
  14. Web site: Gordon . Jeremy . FKA twigs Shares New Song/Video "Two Weeks" . Pitchfork . 23 June 2014 . 30 July 2014.
  15. Web site: Pendulum (Explicit) by FKA twigs . 7digital . United Kingdom . 28 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140903105229/http://www.7digital.com/artist/fka-twigs/release/pendulum . 3 September 2014.
  16. Web site: Minsker . Evan . FKA twigs Gets Tied Up in "Pendulum" Video . Pitchfork . 14 January 2015 . 3 March 2016.
  17. Web site: FKA twigs . . 22 July 2014 . 6 May 2023 . en-US . Carrie . Battan.
  18. Web site: BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist . . 15 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141014175536/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/playlist?filter=new . 14 October 2014.
  19. Web site: Gordon . Jeremy . FKA Twigs Shares "Video Girl" Video . Pitchfork . 29 October 2014 . 15 December 2014.
  20. Web site: Lockett . Dee . FKA Twigs Extends Her Reign as the Queen of Music Videos With This Haunting Short Film . . 29 October 2014 . 15 December 2014.
  21. Web site: Reviews for LP1 by FKA Twigs . . 12 August 2014.
  22. Raymer . Miles . LP1 . . 1324 . 8 August 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  23. Web site: Hooton . Christopher . FKA Twigs: LP1 review . . 5 August 2014 . 11 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140808123150/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/fka-twigs-lp1--review-9650327.html . 8 August 2014.
  24. Web site: Fowle . Kyle . FKA Twigs gets sultry, ambitious, and inventive on her debut . . 12 August 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  25. Web site: Phares . Heather . LP1 – FKA twigs . . 16 November 2019.
  26. Web site: Zwickel . Jonathan . Millennial Tension: FKA Twigs Arrives With the Menacing, Incandescent 'LP1' . . 11 August 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  27. Web site: Sherburne . Philip . Philip Sherburne . FKA twigs: LP1 . Pitchfork . 11 August 2014 . 11 August 2014.
  28. Web site: Petridis . Alexis . Alexis Petridis . FKA Twigs: LP1 review – a singular piece of work in an overcrowded market . The Guardian . 7 August 2014 . 8 August 2014.
  29. Web site: Sheffield . Hazel . FKA Twigs – 'LP1' . . 6 August 2014 . 8 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150112003105/http://www.nme.com/reviews/various-artists/15522 . 12 January 2015.
  30. Web site: Martin . Felicity . FKA twigs – LP1 . . 28 July 2014 . 29 July 2014.
  31. FKA twigs: LP1 . . 338 . September 2014 . 108 . 0955-4955.
  32. Shepherd . Julianne Escobedo . FKA Twigs: LP1 . . 1215 . 8 August 2014 . 18 August 2014.
  33. Web site: The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far (2010–2014) . Pitchfork . 19 August 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  34. Sutherland . Mark . Young Fathers Upset Damon Albarn, FKA Twigs for Mercury Prize Win . Rolling Stone . 30 October 2014 . 15 December 2014.
  35. Web site: Grebey . James . Grammys 2015 Winners: Sam Smith, Jack White, Beck, and More . Spin . 8 February 2015 . 14 August 2015.
  36. Web site: Pazz+Jop 2014 . . 2015 . 25 September 2015.
  37. Web site: The 20 best albums of 2014 . The A.V. Club . 8 December 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  38. Web site: Diver . Mike . Clash's Fuss-Free Top 40 Albums Of 2014 . Clash . 11 December 2014 . 28 December 2014.
  39. Web site: The 30 Best Albums of 2014 . . 15 December 2014 . 28 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141227085903/http://www.cmj.com/feature/30-best-albums-2014/ . 27 December 2014.
  40. Web site: The 50 Best Albums of 2014 . . 18 December 2014 . 22 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141225091741/http://www.complex.com/music/2014/12/best-albums-2014/fka-twigs-lp1 . 25 December 2014.
  41. Web site: Thompson . Eliza . The 20 Best Albums of 2014 . . 2 December 2014 . 22 December 2014.
  42. Web site: McCormick . Neil . Brown . Helen . Hall . James . McNulty . Bernadette . Best 50 albums of 2014 . . 27 November 2014 . 22 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141223223550/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/11252866/best-albums-of-2014.html . 23 December 2014.
  43. Web site: Adams . Sean . Drowned in Sound's 50 Favourite Albums of 2014 . . 16 December 2014 . 28 December 2014 . 15 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150315055439/https://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4148558-drowned-in-sounds-50-favourite-albums-of-2014 . dead .
  44. 10 Best Albums of 2014 . Entertainment Weekly . 5 December 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  45. Web site: The 50 best albums of 2014 . . 9 December 2014 . 28 December 2014.
  46. Web site: Nicholson . Rebecca . Best albums of 2014: No 3 – LP1 by FKA twigs . The Guardian . 10 December 2014 . 28 December 2014.
  47. Web site: Goodman . Jessica . Kristobak . Ryan . The 23 Best Albums Of 2014 . . 15 December 2014 . 16 December 2014.
  48. Web site: MOJO's 50 Best Albums Of 2014: The Final Score . . 21 November 2014 . 22 December 2014 . 10 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161110110500/http://www.mojo4music.com/17483/50-best-albums-2014-final-score/ . dead .
  49. Web site: Hubbard . Michael . musicOMH's Top 100 Albums Of 2014 . . 6 December 2014 . 22 December 2014.
  50. Web site: NME's Top 50 Albums Of 2014 . NME . 13 October 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  51. Web site: Jackson . Josh . The 50 Best Albums of 2014 . . 1 December 2014 . 22 December 2014.
  52. Web site: The 50 Best Albums of 2014 . Pitchfork . 17 December 2014 . 22 December 2014.
  53. Web site: The 80 Best Albums of 2014 . . 22 December 2014 . 22 December 2014.
  54. Web site: Q's Top 50 Albums Of 2014 . . 3 December 2014 . 3 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170803120938/http://www.qthemusic.com/the-latest-q/qs-top-50-albums-of-2014 . 3 August 2017.
  55. Web site: Doran . John . Quietus Albums Of The Year 2014 (In Association With Norman Records) . . 11 December 2014 . 28 December 2014.
  56. 50 Best Albums of 2014 . Rolling Stone . 1 December 2014 . 22 December 2014.
  57. Web site: The 25 Best Albums of 2014 . . 11 December 2014 . 28 December 2014.
  58. Web site: The 50 Best Albums of 2014 . Spin . 9 December 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  59. Web site: The 50 Best Albums Of 2014 . . 2 December 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  60. Top 10 Best Albums . . 2 December 2014 . 22 December 2014 . https://archive.today/20141203223811/https://time.com/3613540/top-10-best-albums/ . 3 December 2014.
  61. Web site: The 30 best albums of 2014 . . 4 December 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  62. Review of 2014: New Releases . . 212 . January 2015 . 30 . 1368-0722.
  63. Web site: Under the Radar's Top 140 Albums of 2014 . . 12 December 2014 . 28 December 2014.
  64. Web site: Zoladz . Lindsay . The 32 Best Pop Albums of 2014 . . 8 December 2014 . 28 December 2014.
  65. Web site: Jones . Alan . Official Charts Analysis: Nico & Vinz hold No.1 single spot with Am I Wrong selling 62,750 . . 18 August 2014 . 18 August 2014 . subscription.
  66. Web site: Tardio . Andres . Hip Hop Album Sales: FKA Twigs, Tank, Twista, Watsky, Dilated Peoples . . 20 August 2014 . 3 October 2017.
  67. Murray . Gordon . Dillon Francis Fires Up First No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums . Billboard . 27 August 2015 . 28 August 2015.
  68. LP1 . liner notes . . . 2014 . YTCD118.
  69. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/603341/products/1083636/1/ . ja:LP1 FKA・ツイッグス . LP1 FKA twigs . ja . . 14 August 2015.
  70. Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2014 . Billboard . 15 December 2014.
  71. Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2015 . Billboard . 9 December 2015.
  72. Web site: Lp1 : Fka Twigs . . 8 August 2014.
  73. Web site: LP1 . . 8 August 2014 . 14 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140814142815/https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/alternative/lp1/580721/ . dead .
  74. Web site: LP1 (Explicit) by FKA twigs . . 8 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140809232059/http://www.zdigital.com.au/artist/fka-twigs/release/lp1-explicit-1 . 9 August 2014.
  75. Web site: Lp1 . . de . Germany . 8 August 2014.
  76. Web site: Lp1 [Vinyl LP] ]. Amazon . de . Germany . 8 August 2014.
  77. Web site: LP1 [Explicit]

    FKA twigs: MP3-Downloads ]

    . Amazon . de . Germany . 8 August 2014 . https://archive.today/20140812042903/http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00KWKTNDS . 12 August 2014.
  78. Web site: Lp1 (Limited Edition) [Vinyl LP] ]. Amazon . de . Germany . 24 August 2014.
  79. Web site: Fka Twigs – Lp1 . Tower Records Ireland . 24 August 2014.
  80. Web site: LP1 (Explicit) by FKA twigs . 7digital . Ireland . 8 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140811005738/http://ie.7digital.com/artist/fka-twigs/release/lp1-explicit-1 . 11 August 2014.
  81. Web site: LP1 – Fka Twigs – CD album . fr . . 8 August 2014.
  82. Web site: LP1 [Explicit]

    FKA twigs: Téléchargements MP3 ]

    . Amazon . fr . France . 8 August 2014.
  83. Web site: Lp1 by FKA Twigs . Amazon . United Kingdom . 8 August 2014.
  84. Web site: Lp1 [VINYL] by FKA Twigs ]. Amazon . United Kingdom . 8 August 2014.
  85. Web site: LP1 [Explicit]

    FKA twigs: MP3 Downloads ]

    . Amazon . United Kingdom . 8 August 2014.
  86. Web site: Lp1 [VINYL] (Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition) by FKA Twigs ]. Amazon . United Kingdom . 24 August 2014.
  87. Web site: Lp1 . Amazon . United States . 8 August 2014.
  88. Web site: LP1 [Explicit]

    FKA twigs: MP3 Downloads ]

    . Amazon . United States . 8 August 2014.
  89. Web site: LP1 (Vinyl) . JB Hi-Fi . 8 August 2014.
  90. Web site: Lp1 (Album vinyle) . Amazon . fr . France . 24 August 2014.
  91. Web site: Lp1 (Limited Deluxe Edition) . Amazon . fr . France . 24 August 2014.
  92. Web site: Lp1 (Vinyl) . Amazon . United States . 8 August 2014.
  93. Web site: LP1 (Limited Deluxe Edition) . Amazon . United States . 24 August 2014.

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