This isn’t R&B remixed — it’s R&B rebuilt from the inside out.
LP1 is FKA Twigs’s debut studio album, released on 6 August 2014 via Young Turks. It features collaborative production with Emile Haynie, Arca, Cy An, Devonté Hynes, Clams Casino, Paul Epworth, Sampha and Tic. Critically acclaimed, it was ranked No. 1 of 2014 by Time and Clash, and shortlisted for the 2014 Mercury Prize. Lyrically, it centres on 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. Musically, it is characterised as avant-pop with a large electronic component and a 'glitchy futuristic' take on R&B.
Film placements are the ones described in each film's own entry, so the list is partial rather than complete.
Worth your time?
Yes. Hear the whole thing.
4.5/ 5
What works
voice placement
digital reverb decay
rhythmic asymmetry
textural contrast
What does not
traditional harmony
acoustic warmth
linear narrative
Hear it if
listeners who treat voice as instrument
producers studying spatial minimalism
fans of hyper-detailed sonic texture
Skip it if
those needing immediate melodic resolution
listeners seeking lyrical abstraction over bodily specificity
The written brief1 min read
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.