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2. Dance classes with FKA twigs
Before becoming FKA twigs, twigs was known simply as Tahliah Debrett Barnett. Barnett, a London-based backup dancer, worked for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, and Jessie J. Of course, her days of being merely in the background didn't last for long and twigs worked on her music career while dancing professionally.
When not working on her own music, twigs gave back by teaching youth dance workshops. In the video, you can witness twigs' technical skill as she teaches. In addition to showcasing her technique, the video includes an interview segment in which twigs speaks on her teaching philosophy. She was only 22 years old at this point.
3. 2014 Barclaycard Mercury Prize Q&A
For an artist that has garnered so much attention in the past couple of years, FKA twigs keeps pretty quiet for the most part. She's not always out making unnecessary public appearances or accepting any interview request she gets, and she's been quiet about her personal life. In this interview, though, twigs opens up about her creative process, reveals a few of her influences, and gives a little insight into the person behind the music.
4. Calling T-Pain
Who would have thought that twigs and T-Pain would run in the same circles, let alone be good friends? In this interview, twigs reveals her unlikely friendship with fellow artist T-Pain.
twigs, who has recorded with T-Pain in the past, describes being close enough with the fellow artist to call him "Uncle T-Pain." Also, when she's stressed out on tour, the first person she's going to dial is, yep, you guessed it: T-Pain. It's apparently a reciprocal relationship, though; this clip reflects on the career advice twigs gave T-Pain.
5. Trying out Google Glass
Leave it up to FKA twigs to turn a commercial into a work of art. Calling this a commercial doesn't even do it justice. It's more of a self-directed short film, and it shows twigs performing to alternative versions of her songs "Video Girl" and "Glass & Patron."
Throughout the performance, she incorporates Google Glass technology, searching terms like "dominant krumping" with her glasses and then quickly learning the new moves. The video is captivating, and the make-up job is phenomenal.
6. Covering Sam Smith's "Stay With Me"
There aren't many videos of FKA twigs doing covers on YouTube, but when she does cover a song, she does it right. Back in September of last year, twigs went on BBC 1's Live Lounge to do her rendition of Sam Smith's hit song "Stay With Me." With quivering lyrics and next-level production, this is not the "Stay With Me" you've heard on the radio.
7. Picking up a microphone, FKA twigs style
During a performance of "Give Up" at New York City's Webster Hall, twigs had to pick up a dropped microphone. While most other artists might simply bend over to grab the dropped mic, she incorporates it into her routine, turning a simple act into an elaborate show. The whole process becomes a choreographed work of art.
8. Performing "Two Weeks" live
FKa twigs' incredible dancing and unwavering stage presence is visually captivating during her live performances. In this radio station performance of "Two Weeks," twigs is in a recording studio—a break from the usual format that puts the emphasis on the sounds and the sounds alone.
9. At Vogue Knights
Seen in FKA twigs' Google Glass video, vogueing is a style of dance that she's fluent in, and one of her choreographers is Jamel Prodigy, an expert in the style. Watch as twigs shows off some of her new moves at Vogue Knights back in November of 2014 in New York City. Surrounded by a small crowd of onlookers cheering her on, twigs seems as at home as she is on stage.
10. Wet Wipez directed by FKA twigs
FKA twigs definitely is a multi-faceted artist. For this clip, instead of being in front of the camera, twigs displayed her talents as a director. The group performing the the twigs-directed video is a London based krump crew called Wet Wipez. The video was shot in London's beautiful Shoreditch Town Hall, it's all set to a score composed by twigs specifically for this video.
11. Performing at the 2015 BRIT Awards
At the 2015 BRIT awards, twigs was nominated for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. While Sam Smith took home the award in both categories and Kanye had everyone talking with his debut performance of "All Day," FKA twigs still made her mark with a breathtaking performance of "Hide" and "Pendulum" at the nominations launch.
