NEW SOUNDS

FKA TWIGS

After some acting gigs ("Honey Boy", "The Crow") and a mixtape, "Caprisongs" two years ago following her signing with a new label, Atlantic Records, FKA Twigs is back with some fresh music. "Eusexua" is the first single and the title track of the genre-bending, alterative British artist's upcoming third album due out in January. Twigs (born Tahliah Barnett) states that Eusexua is "a state of being and the pinnacle of human experience". This unusually structured song begins with propulsive techno throbs before downshifting in the middle then picking the beat back up slightly to slow down again to the conclusion. The dance-driven music video for "Eusexua" features vivid imagery set in a corporate world where the workers strip away from conformity and liberating themselves of their clothing.



NELLY FURTADO

The Canadian-Portuguese artist, Nelly Furtado has just released "7" which is her seventh studio album and her first in seven years. Over the last four years, Furtado, who had recently been diagnosed with ADHD, wrote over four hundred songs yet managed to whittle them down to the fourteen tracks on the album. "7" continues the now forty-five year old singer's foray into soulful dance music and features contributions from a collection of international artists that includes Swedish performer, Tove Lo; Colombian electro-band, Bomba Estéreo; South African rapper, Blxckie and fellow Canadian musician, Charlotte Day Wilson.





KATY PERRY

Katy Perry announced in February that she was leaving the judging panel of "American Idol" after seven seasons to be able to focus back on her own music career. Now her seventh album, "143" is out and the reception has been lukewarm at best. Much of the critical reactions has been that the record feels outdated and Perry is not moving forward creatively. And while I tend to agree with this assessment of much of the collection, there are still songs that I really like from the album. I actually enjoy the last two singles that were released to date: the dance track, "Lifetimes" and the hip-hop flavored, "I'm His, He's Mine" that features Doechii.