FKA twigs Releases New EP as a Sprawling and Gorgeous Short Film

There are few artists working in the mainstream today that blend mediums and genre with the same skill as musician, dancer, and filmmaker FKA twigs, a fact that she proves once again with the August 13 release of M3LL155X, her third EP, and the enrapturing 17-minute short film that accompanies the music.

From the M3LL155X press release:

Titled M3LL155X, the EP features five songs, four of which – “Figure 8”, “I’m Your Doll”, “In Time”, “Glass & Patron” – are accompanied by a video directed by FKA twigs herself. The four film pieces come together to form one continuous FKA twigs-directed work, cementing who she is as an artist with an aggressive statement conceptualising the process of feeling pregnant with pain, birthing creativity and liberation.

The video, two portions of which were previously released individually, chronicles twigs from her inception out of the mouth of artist Michele Lamy, Lamy’s face illuminated by a lure that stems from her own head like that of an anglerfish (“Figure 8”), to the colorful and triumphant birth of twigs’ own joyful artistry—celebrated, naturally, by voguing on a runway in the middle of the forest (“Glass & Patron”).

Much of twigs’ film is dark. “I’m Your Doll” shows her entirely subjugated, a literal inflatable doll, as a man climbs on top of her and fucks her motionless, inanimate body. It’s reminiscent of “Hide,” her earliest video, which features only her naked core, forcing viewers to think about objectification and subjugation in a very abrupt way.

twigs has always worked hard to honor and give credit to the artists who inspire her, whether it’s Lamy or voguers like Dashaun Wesley. M3LL155X carries on the tradition as once again, twigs finds her self working with longtime collaborators tic and Cy An, as well as her new creative partner, Boots.

If the visual portion of M3LL155X isn’t for you, that’s fine. The EP continues to offer more the eerie and ethereal sound that FKA twigs has become known for—just don’t be surprised as twigs’ reputation as a visual artist begins to catch up her reputation as a musician.