Q&A: FKA Twigs Is in a Creative Groove, with 'The Crow' and an Upcoming Album
Although the 36-year-old singer, songwriter and dancer is still creating music — she promises her third LP "Eusexua" will be released "very, very, very soon" — she has also recently found creative fulfillment in acting. In addition to starring alongside Bill Skarsgård in "The Crow," the second adaptation of James O'Barr's graphic novel, she is currently in production for "The Carpenter's Son," a horror film about Jesus Christ's childhood that co-stars Nicolas Cage.
FKA Twigs spoke with The Associated Press about her interest in religion, staying true to herself as a musician in the age of social media and why she wanted to be an ambassador for Sistah Space, an organization that supports victims of domestic abuse.
The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: Surrealism is a big part of your art in general. There were a lot of aesthetic similarities between this film and some of your music videos.
FKA Twigs: I think the world of "The Crow" is its own incredible visual universe. So, I knew that it was going to be visually very arresting. Rupert (Sanders, the director), of course, is known for the way that he translates image into film, but then also Steve Annis, our DP, he's really incredible. So, I didn't know exactly what it was going to look like, but I really trusted in Rupert's vision and Steve's eye that it was going to be something that was very beautiful and artistic.
AP: You're set to star alongside Nicolas Cage in "The Carpenter's Son." Have you started production yet?
FKA Twigs: I'm actually in the middle of filming right now. It's really just such an incredible, wild and beautiful journey. And I'm obviously, like, completely obsessed with Nicolas Cage and just so in awe and kind of can't believe that I'm acting alongside him as his wife.
AP: You're putting your Catholic education to good use.
FKA Twigs: Yeah. I'm very passionate about religion. I'm very passionate about spirituality and its place in society. And it's something that is a big part of my art as well. It's been incredible to kind of deep dive into Mary Magdalene through my last record. And then now to be exploring the Virgin Mary kind of really feels like an amazing closing of the loop for me.
AP: You've been leaning more into acting lately. Is there any particular reason for that?
FKA Twigs: I just want to get into more of expressing myself in whichever way that happens. But I just really feel so in my bag at the moment as an artist. I feel very grounded and I feel very ready to world-build or be part of a world.
AP: You've resisted genre for a lot of your music. It sounds like you're saying you also want to resist classifying different forms of art. It's all just self-expression for you.
FKA Twigs: Yeah, I hadn't thought of it like that, but yeah, exactly. That's all it's about for me. I just want to tell the truth in everything that I do. If it feels honest and it feels truthful, I really want to take part in it.
AP: When can fans expect "Eusexua" to be released?
FKA Twigs: It's definitely going to start to be released very soon. Very, very, very soon. It's really heating up. I've done a lot of work on it and I'm really proud of it. We're very close to being able to unveil the world of "Eusexua."
AP: It's been a decade since you released "LP1." How does it feel to reflect on its legacy and your journey as an artist since then?
FKA Twigs: I feel really happy and I feel really proud to continue to make boundary-pushing art. It's so interesting making work in the world of social media and Instagram and TikTok and this new way of creating. I feel like I've managed to maintain a lot of authenticity.
The other day, because I was thinking about this new world of "Eusexua," I was like, "Should I do the classic thing and go back through my Instagram feed and delete all of the pictures?" Like, "Oh my God, she's deleted her feed." And I went back to the very beginning and I was like, "Okay, let me delete everything." And I looked and I was like, "You know what? I don't need to delete it." You can go back to the first images on my feed from like 2012 and I'm still the same girl.
I feel very proud of that. And I just want to keep on going and just keep on being me. That will, I'm sure, ebb and flow and go in and out of fashion, whatever that is. But you know what? Who cares? It's just me. I'm just myself. And that feels like the biggest achievement.
AP: What made you want to be an ambassador for Sistah Space?
FKA Twigs: I think as a survivor of domestic violence myself, I recognize the privilege that I've had in being able to have my own home and, although it's been very challenging at times, to sustain a living. And I just have a lot of respect for women that aren't in the position I've been in who are surviving and healing from a domestically violent relationship. And so to be an ambassador at Sistah Space and to keep my ear to the ground and sort of understand issues that are going on, I guess is part of my healing, but it's also something that I can do to keep on raising awareness to this issue.
And all were struck by the parallels to today. Though no one wanted to comment directly on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, the film, they hope, speaks for itself.
"The history of America is very complex," Smollett said. "This level of bigotry is not new and it has existed in our nation since it was founded. As artists we get to hold a mirror up to society....explore the very complex sides of humanity, the ugliness, the darkness in order for us to learn from it and hopefully not repeat it."
"The Order" is playing in competition at Venice, alongside " Maria," " Babygirl," "The Room Next Door," "Queer" and "Joker: Folie à Deux."
Vertical Entertainment will release the film in theaters later this year.
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For more coverage of the 2024 Venice Film Festival, visit https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival