What the record is and where it came from
LP1 is FKA Twigs’s debut studio album. It was released on 6 August 2014 via Young Turks.
How it sounds, and how it was made
It sounds like avant-pop with a large electronic component. It is seen for its ‘glitchy futuristic’ take on R&B. Entertainment Weekly felt that without Twigs’ voice, it would be a work of avant-garde electronics. The album yields ‘boundaries-pushing’ pop music.
What lands
The voice lands — precise, layered, suspended in synthetic air. The production choices land — sparse, digital, tactile. The emotional directness lands — unflinching on intimacy and power.
What does not
It does not foreground traditional song structures or warm analogue textures. It does not rely on live-band interplay or acoustic space.
The ideas inside it
Lyrically, the album deals with themes of sex, sexual relations and intimacy. Twigs began writing it during a period she described as ‘self-hatred’, which she considers ‘quite normal’ for a young person.
Who should hear it, and who should not
People who want R&B reimagined through electronic precision should hear it. People who need melody-first hooks or organic instrumentation should not.
Is it worth your time
Yes. It was ranked No. 1 of 2014 by Time and Clash, and nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize.
