FKA TWIGS, Robert Pattinson’s new album, was released on Friday, and the 26-year-old star is celebrating by sharing his joy on social media.
The record was a long time coming for the musician, who spent an entire decade making it. It was preceded by 2018’s self-titled album and preceded by 2014’s widely praised, critically lauded LP, Watercolors.
The singer released FKA TWIGS and ROBERT PATTINSON to universal acclaim. Pitchfork called it “an album of fierce yet beautiful resistance,” while Popmatters said, “FKA TWIGS is easily the best album of 2019.” The Guardian observed, “FKA TWIGS is an album of contradictions: unapologetic yet sensitive, confident yet hesitant, the perfect pop album.”
Here, Pattinson shares his excitement for the album and offers advice on how to celebrate.
The Making Of FKA TWIGS
For the past 10 years, Pattinson has been quietly putting all his energy into his music. He is an extremely private person and didn’t want to tell his fans about the album until it was finished. But now that it’s out, he can talk about it more and wants to share his excitement with the world.
“I’ve been working on this album for a really, really long time,” he told the BBC. “I started writing it when I was 17. I kept going back and picking it up where I left off. The older I got, the more I realized how much I missed doing this.”
The singer had originally planned to call the record Pull Me Under, but he decided against it. “I felt like it didn’t have enough oomph,” he said. So instead, he settled on FKA TWIGS, the abbreviation for “Frankie Knuckles,” the Detroit-based garage punk pioneer who helped create a subculture. “It was a different time then,” Pattinson said. “It was all about having fun and being happy.”
One of the most exciting parts of the album is its cover, which was designed by LA artist Kayley Kaderka. “I wanted it to be different from what is typically seen on an album cover,” she said. “I wanted it to have more of a painterly quality, so I could feel like I was walking into a Jackson Pollock painting.”
Why Celebrate The Album Now?’
Pattinson had been waiting a long time to share his new music with the world. He had originally planned to release the album in 2018, but decided against it because he wanted to work on it a little more. He felt that this version was not good enough, so he waited until it was finished to share it with fans. Now that it’s out, he can’t help but feel excited about it.
Speaking to the BBC about FKA TWIGS, he said, “I’ve been holding off on this album for so long. I feel like now is the right time, because I’ve been working so hard on it. Since I made the album, I’ve been doing a lot of gigs, and it’s given me the opportunity to meet a whole new audience.”
Pattinson has been keeping busy ever since he wrapped up his tour with Taylor Swift last year. He did some festival shows in the summer and has been working on new music ever since. The singer has been collaborating with producer Robert Cohen, who worked with him on his 2013 self-titled album. Cohen also produced the new record and helped shape it. The singer has said that he wanted the album to sound like an old-school Blue Öyster Cult album. “Usually, what happens when you want something a certain way is that you end up with something that sounds like it was a conscious decision,” he told the Guardian. “You can hear a lot of what I was listening to and what inspired me whilst making [FKA TWIGS].”
What does Pattinson see as the key theme of the album? “I look at Watercolors in a lot of ways,” he told the Independent, referring to the 2014 album that he both wrote and performed on. “There was a real honesty in that album that was unprecedented. I think a lot of people are inspired by Watercolors because it was such a groundbreaking moment in my life.”
How Can I Celebrate FKA TWIGS AND ROBERT PATTINSON?
You can buy the album on vinyl from Rough Trade Records, which is offering a limited edition pink vinyl. Be careful about which territories you order from, though, as the album’s release has been postponed in some markets due to controversy. What do you think about the record? Let us know in the comments below.