LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� It's been a decade since she released her debut album, but is busier than ever.
Although the 36-year-old singer, songwriter and dancer is still creating music 鈥� she promises her third LP 鈥淓usexua鈥� will be released 鈥渧ery, very, very soon鈥� 鈥� she has also recently found creative fulfillment in acting. In addition to starring alongside in the second adaptation of James O鈥橞arr鈥檚 graphic novel, she is currently in production for 鈥淭he Carpenter鈥檚 Son,鈥� a horror film about Jesus Christ's childhood that co-stars
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 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 鈥淭he Crow鈥� 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鈥檚 really incredible. So, I didn鈥檛 know exactly what it was going to look like, but I really trusted in Rupert鈥檚 vision and Steve鈥檚 eye that it was going to be something that was very beautiful and artistic.
AP: You鈥檙e set to star alongside Nicolas Cage in 鈥淭he Carpenter鈥檚 Son.鈥� Have you started production yet?
FKA TWIGS: I鈥檓 actually in the middle of filming right now. It鈥檚 really just such an incredible, wild and beautiful journey. And I鈥檓 obviously, like, completely obsessed with Nicolas Cage and just so in awe and kind of can鈥檛 believe that I鈥檓 acting alongside him as his wife.
AP: You鈥檙e putting your Catholic education to good use.
FKA TWIGS: Yeah. I鈥檓 very passionate about religion. I鈥檓 very passionate about spirituality and its place in society. And it鈥檚 something that is a big part of my art as well. It鈥檚 been incredible to kind of deep dive into Mary Magdalene through And then now to be exploring the Virgin Mary kind of really feels like an amazing closing of the loop for me.
AP: You鈥檝e 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鈥檝e resisted genre for a lot of your music. It sounds like you鈥檙e saying you also want to resist classifying different forms of art. It鈥檚 all just self-expression for you.
FKA TWIGS: Yeah, I hadn鈥檛 thought of it like that, but yeah, exactly. That鈥檚 all it鈥檚 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 鈥淓usexua鈥� to be released?
FKA TWIGS: It鈥檚 definitely going to start to be released very soon. Very, very, very soon. It鈥檚 really heating up. I鈥檝e done a lot of work on it and I鈥檓 really proud of it. We鈥檙e very close to being able to unveil the world of 鈥淓usexua.鈥�
AP: It鈥檚 been a decade since you released 鈥淟P1.鈥� 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鈥檚 so interesting making work in the world of social media and Instagram and TikTok and this new way of creating. I feel like I鈥檝e managed to maintain a lot of authenticity.
The other day, because I was thinking about this new world of 鈥淓usexua,鈥� I was like, 鈥淪hould I do the classic thing and go back through my Instagram feed and delete all of the pictures?鈥� Like, 鈥淥h my God, she鈥檚 deleted her feed.鈥� And I went back to the very beginning and I was like, 鈥淥kay, let me delete everything.鈥� And I looked and I was like, 鈥淵ou know what? I don鈥檛 need to delete it.鈥� You can go back to the first images on my feed from like 2012 and I鈥檓 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鈥檓 sure, ebb and flow and go in and out of fashion, whatever that is. But you know what? Who cares? It鈥檚 just me. I鈥檓 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鈥檝e had in being able to have my own home and, although it鈥檚 been very challenging at times, to sustain a living. And I just have a lot of respect for women that aren鈥檛 in the position I鈥檝e 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鈥檚 also something that I can do to keep on raising awareness to this issue.
Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press
