In her complaint, the artist, born Tahliah Barnett, asks a US court to declare that her stage name, FKA twigs, does not infringe the band’s rights and that she can continue to use it without interference. The filing outlines a history stretching back to the early 2010s, when the twin‑sister act behind The Twigs became aware of Barnett’s rising profile and began challenging her use of the name. Barnett’s lawyers describe a pattern of escalating pushback, including cease‑and‑desist correspondence and attempts to assert control over the “twigs” branding.

According to reports on the case, Barnett previously tried to resolve the conflict out of court, at one point offering a financial settlement so both acts could coexist under their respective names. That effort did not end the dispute, and the tension has resurfaced repeatedly as FKA Twigs’ global visibility has grown. The new lawsuit frames her move as a defensive step to secure a court‑backed ruling after years of uncertainty rather than a bid to silence a smaller act.

A key part of Barnett’s argument is the gulf between the two projects’ careers and audiences. Over the last decade, FKA twigs has become a critically acclaimed, internationally recognised artist with major label releases, festival headlines, and a strong digital presence. Since emerging with early EPs in the 2010s, FKA twigs has become one of the UK’s most acclaimed experimental pop artists, known for fusing electronic production, R&B, and avant‑garde visuals. Her debut album ‘LP1‘ earned a Mercury Prize nomination and widespread critical praise, establishing her as a boundary‑pushing voice in contemporary music. Her first of two 2025 album releases, ‘Eusexua‘, was nominated for the Mercury Prize last year, showing her long-standing, established success as an artist.

The Twigs, by contrast, are portrayed in the legal papers and coverage as a far more low‑profile outfit, with limited recent activity and a comparatively modest reach. Rollingstone reports that they “have 67 subscribers and 19,332 views on YouTube, 705 followers on Instagram, and 25 monthly listeners on Spotify” compared to Barnett’s “3.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 300 million views on YouTube“. Barnett’s team contends that, in practice, fans and industry partners are not confusing the two acts, despite the shared word in their names.

Beyond the courtroom, the case has sparked debate among musicians and commentators about how far artists should go to defend their monikers, especially when those names predate their commercial breakthrough. Many see Barnett’s move as a necessary attempt to protect a hard‑won identity; others worry about the message it sends to smaller, older acts with similar branding. What’s clear is that the outcome will be watched closely by artists navigating modern music, where a name is both a creative choice and a valuable part of intellectual property.

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In a video posted online, FKA Twigs explained: “Hi everyone, I wanted to come on here to talk to you and address some things that have been happening behind the scenes in my world. So as you may have seen I have been performing the ‘Eusexua’ tour in the UK and Europe and it has been absolutely incredible the reception and the crowd and the artistic expression. Everything has been just completely amazing.”

“I feel so grateful to have been a part of such an amazing, creative process. Behind the scenes, practically, it has been challenging, and with production, the more practical side of putting this tour together. So today I was informed that production did not fill out the correct paperwork in a timely manner for us to have our visas to come to the USA and perform. So that means by no choice of my own I will have to pull out of my New York, Chicago, and Toronto shows.”

“For those of you who are wondering why I have to pull out of Toronto because it’s not part of the United States, it’s because of routing and just the complex beast that touring is. I don’t take this lightly. I’m completely devastated, to be honest with you. Completely heartbroken. All I want to do is be there with you and bring ‘Eusexua’’ to you.”

The singer reassured fans by confirming the concerts will be rescheduled and details will be shared very soon.

As the show began, the space produced the energy and physicality of raves with synth sounds and dark, pulsing lighting. The artist introduced her performance with a tribute to her older tracks, such as the ethereal ‘Thousand eyes’ from the album ‘Magdalene’, and ‘Figure 8’ from the album ‘M3LL155X’.

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After this, Twigs began to showcase her new experimental album ‘EUSEXUA’ , inspired by the underground techno rave scene in Prague. The energy of the room reflected the concept of the album clearly, giving an organic, sensual artistry. ‘Striptease’ graced the stage as the first performed track from ‘EUSEXUA‘s. The artist stretched and pulled down her red flowing gown to let it hang around her waist and filled the room with transcendent operatic vocals. It is then that she let out an unbridled flood of expression, throwing herself into the song’s choppy techno beat and showing us the complexity of her artistry as the same costuming and vocals were transformed into an image reminiscent of a warrior. This notion is important to FKA’s musical ideologies, as noted by issue two of her online Zine series, ‘AVANTgarden’, titled ‘Dream Warrior’. 

Fans were amazed by the show, noting the uniqueness of the experience. One fan who attended the show had this to say,

i have never experienced anything like the eusexua tour in my life. fka twigs is the greatest performing act of our generation. this was life changing pic.twitter.com/mH0oHLxjXG

— ali | علی (@theirnameisali) March 22, 2025

Queer tributes were threaded throughout the artist’s show with a showcase of Madonna’s ‘Vogue’. She performs this alongside her dancers in a unique stylistic remix, paying respect to the art of vogueing, whilst inflecting her own artistic authenticity. The two-hour live performance featured impressive choreography, pole dancing during song ’24 hr dog’, and inventive costuming as her dress was performatively chained by her dancers to the black box which surrounded her. This then led into the final song of the show being one of her most notable tracks, ‘Cellophane’, an emotionally desperate piece of art-pop. With this, Twigs left the audience reeling, utterly transported to new depths.

Premiering February 3 on Apple Music Club, ‘EUSEXUA WORLD’ will see Twigs take her listeners on a journey, exploring her creative process and the diverse influences, both musical and artistic, that have shaped her latest release. Episodes will air bi-weekly and feature DJ mixes from artists who inspired the album, such as techno powerhouse Dr. Rubinstein, LSDXOXO and Earthearter – both prominent artists in queer experimentalism – as well as many more.

.@FKAtwigs joins Apple Music Club with EUSEXUA WORLD, where she continues her artistic mission with a series of carefully crafted DJ mixes featuring artists who inspired her new album. https://t.co/bYqUfQ50vV pic.twitter.com/dArks2g2Yp

— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) February 3, 2025

In the opening episode, collaborator and co-producer of ‘EUSEXUA’, Koreless, joins the British-born singer to discuss early music influences in his own artistry. 

“I think that when artists talk about their inspiration, sometimes it can be so literal, it can be another superstar or a show that they’ve seen but for me, inspiration comes in energy and it comes in community and so I think by opening up my fans around the world, the community into the energy that’s been created around this project, hopefully people can understand where I’m coming from more with my message and with the album of ‘EUSEXUA’,” explains Twigs in promotion for the new show. 

She adds: “These mixes have been made by some of my favourite artists and producers, my partner, my make-up artist, my hairstylist and more in my inner circle. It’s the music that has inspired the creative world that we have built around the album – from the mood boards for styling to my choreography. ‘EUSEXUA WORLD’ chronicles the journey to create ‘EUSEXUA’.” 

‘EUSEXUA’ marks the third studio album by FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Barnett, and has already been praised by critics as a “cohesive and transcendent artistic experience” since its release January 24. In support of her latest release, Twigs will be embarking on a European tour this March, including two nights in London March 21 & 22. Making her musical debut in 2012, the ‘Cellophane’ singer has asserted herself as one of the UK’s most promising acts in the alternative electro/pop sphere, earning a Mercury Prize nomination in 2014 for her debut album ‘LP1’. 

The announcement of ‘EUSEXUA WORLD’ contributes to the excitement surrounding Apple Music Club, a brand new round-the-clock dance and electronic radio station, one of three new stations introduced as part of Apple Music’s radio programming initiative. In addition to FKA Twigs, the platform is set to feature mixes from other artists who aren’t afraid to put their own spin on house music, including Nia Archives, Honey Dijon, and Jamie xx. 

Episode 1 of ‘EUSEXUA WORLD’ is available to stream on Apple Music now. 

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FKA twigs began her career as a dancer before emerging as one of the most innovative voices in music. Her sound is a distinctive blend of alternative R&B, electronic, and avant-pop, underpinned by her ethereal voice and intricate production.

The ‘Eusexua‘ tour is tied to the release of FKA twigs’ highly anticipated third studio album, ‘Eusexua‘, set to drop on January 24, 2025. The album will explore themes of gender fluidity, sensuality, and self-discovery, combining experimental sounds with emotionally resonant lyrics. The singer is no stranger to ambitious live productions, and this tour promises to continue her tradition of delivering transformative performances. Drawing inspiration from her background in dance and performance art, her concerts often blur the line between a traditional live music show and contemporary theatre.

‘Eusexua’ is the lead single from FKA twigs’ forthcoming third studio album. The single was unveiled on September 13, 2024, marking her first major release since the 2019 album ‘Magdalene‘. As of January 17, 2025, the track has not appeared on the Official UK Singles Chart Top 100.

Ticket presale begins on January 21 at 10am GMT and general sale on January 24. Venues are expected to be announced soon. Fans eager to attend the London show or any of the other European dates are encouraged to stay tuned for updates through official channels. FKA twigs’ ‘Eusexua’ tour is shaping up to be one of the standout music events of 2025.

The advert, as well as two posters that featured Kendall Jenner for the same brand, received complaints that the imagery was “offensive and irresponsible, because they objectified women; and” was “inappropriate for display in an untargeted medium.”  Whilst the ASA concluded that the posters featuring Kendall Jenner were found to be within regulatory standards since she is covered to a degree that the ASA considers “no more than mildly sexual”, the ASA deemed the poster featuring FKA Twigs to be “overtly sexual and… not suitable for display in an untargeted medium.”

The key contention held by the ASA is that Barnett’s poster relies upon nudity to draw the viewer’s attention instead of the advertised clothing. In this regard, the ASA ruled that the poster “used nudity and centred on FKA Twig’s physical features rather than the clothing, to the extent that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object”.

Despite a response from Calvin Klein that argued that the “Images were not vulgar and were of two confident and empowered women who had chosen to identify with the Calvin Klein brand”, the ASA ruled that the advertisement “must not appear again in the form complained of”.

In response to the ASA, FKA Twigs took to Instagram to say: “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me.” She added “in light of reviewing other campaigns past and current of this nature, I can’t help but feel there are some double standards here.” What makes this ruling especially contentious, to many online, is the use of male models in equally suggestive marketing, receiving no criticism.

Although the ASA may have a technical case for pulling the FKA Twigs poster, it is hard to ignore that the singer openly endorses the poster and feels that she was able to “express myself exactly how I wanted to”. FKA Twigs cited women of colour like “Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt and Grace Jones” who pushed boundaries in art and performance as inspiration for her work. Within this context, FKA Twigs’ feature has been deemed by many online to be entirely uncontroversial, with American indie-rock artists Mattiel commenting: “I see discipline in this photo. Many many years of discipline and thoughtful caretaking of the self.” 

The singer-songwriter took to social media to express her frustration, informing her followers she had been hacked and that she would be scrapping the leaked music as a result. In a series of Instagram Stories, the avant-pop artist told fans “Well done, no new music for a while now. Bye.” Her following story reiterated the consequences of the leak, with the words “no new music”.

whoever leaked fka twigs shit will be dealt with TRUST pic.twitter.com/QbFuJ1rfzo

— gigi (@DEARGlGl) October 15, 2023

A third post confirmed the worst, as Twigs shared a screenshot of a text conversation with music producer Sega Bodega that included the caption “back to the drawing board”, implying she was giving up on the leaked project and starting anew. This is bad news for fans who have been eagerly anticipating a new full-length FKA Twigs LP since 2019’s MAGDALENE, the critically-acclaimed record inspired by her breakup with Robert Pattinson.

The unfortunate Instagram update comes only two weeks after the singer previewed new music at Valentino’s Paris Fashion Week show, where she unveiled four unreleased tracks rumoured to appear on an upcoming album. In an exclusive performance titled “Unearth Her”, Twigs accompanied the reveal of Valentino’s latest collection, dancing to songs recorded with longtime collaborator Koreless.

Check out the production below:

FKA Twigs has slowly been teasing new music since the release of her last project CAPRISONGS – a poppy mixtape that featured a host of big names such as The Weeknd and Daniel Caesar. In June 2022, she released the single “Killer” and, months later, revealed previously unheard material in a Calvin Klein’s March 2023 campaign.

Listen to “Killer“:

Meanwhile, the musician is involved in an ongoing legal battle with former boyfriend and actor Shia LaBeouf, who she accused of “relentless abuse”. In a relationship that lasted just over a year, according to The New York Times, Twigs alleged that LaBeouf physically, emotionally, and mentally abused her on several occasions.

This September, it was announced that the trial date had been pushed back to 2024 due to scheduling conflicts between both Twigs and LaBeouf.

A description on the AIM Independent Music Award’s website provides the ceremony’s mission statement, “The AIM Awards 2022 marks the twenty-third year of the Association of Independent Music (AIM) and champions industry-leading creativity, innovation, and performance shown by independent artists, labels, and outstanding individuals. Since 2010, the AIM Independent Music Awards have honoured an extraordinary array of independent artists, music companies and industry figures including: Björk, Stormzy, Adele, The Prodigy, Peggy Gou, Wolf Alice, London Grammar, Jorja Smith, Christine and the Queens, Daughter, SOPHIE, 4AD, Ninja Tune, Transgressive, Martin Mills (Beggars), Goldie and Steve Beckett (Warp).”

Today we’re revealing the first wave of nominees for the AIM Independent Music Awards 2022, taking place at Camden’s iconic @RoundhouseLDN on September 28th.

Keep you’re eyes on our socials today to find out who is nominated for the following categories… pic.twitter.com/Ii25LXlbkw

— AIM (@AIM_UK) July 21, 2022

Multi-talented British artist FKA Twigs, Dave and Indie group Wet Leg are all in the running for the accolade Best Independent Track in association with Meta. FKA Twigs has been nominated for her single “Tears In The Club (feat. The Weeknd)”, Dave was nominated for his track “Starlight” and Wet Leg scored a nod for their hugely popular single “Chaise Longue“. All three artists will be up against seven more artists to win the accolade including Nova Twins, Anz and Yves Tumor.

Alt-rock duo Wet Leg will also be up against Nova Twins for the category of UK Independent Breakthrough in association with YouTube Music. The prize’s criteria confirms that the act must be an independent artist who has acquired some notoriety within the UK over the past year and must be self-released or signed to an independent label.

This year sees the inclusion of a new category, Best Independent EP/Mixtape. The brand-new award holds the following criteria, “Recognising the best independent EP/mixtape of the past year. The EP/mixtape must be by an artist signed to a UK/ROI based independent label or be self-released by an artist based in the UK/ROI. The EP/mixtape must have been released between 4th May 2021 and 26th April 2022“. The category marks FKA Twigs’ second nomination for this year’s AIM Independent Music Award; the artist was nominated for CAPRISONGS. Also included in the nominees list are Joy Oribnson for Still Slippin Vo.1, Surya Sen for At What Cost?, TAAHLIAH for Angelica and Wesley Joseph for ULTRAMARINE.

British rapper Dave scores his second nomination within the category Best Independent Album in association with Spotify, the artist has been put forward for the accolade due to his release We’re All Alone In This Together. Also up for the award are producer and artist Boj for Gbagda Express, Children Of Zeus for Balance, Cleo Sol for Mother, Dave Okumu for Knopperz, Emma-Jean Thackray for Yellow, Mustafa for When Smoke Rises, Nilufer Yanya for Painless, SAULT for NINE and Walt Disco for Unlearning.

The #AIMAwards2022 vote is now open for ‘Best Live Performer’

Every act on this long list has been submitted by their teams & a public vote decides the shortlist & winner. This free online poll closes at 2pm on Thursday 18th August Vote here https://t.co/HVDDwmcpXQ pic.twitter.com/MYvyghXent — AIM (@AIM_UK) July 21, 2022

This year’s ceremony consists of four more categories; Best Second Album in association with BBC Radio 6 Music, Best Independent Remix and One To Watch in association with BBC Introducing. The final category, Best Live Performer, stands alone as a very special accolade as a fan vote will decide the winner; the voting is now open and is accessed via this link.

Steeped in angst and effective in it’s stark use of contrast, it’s an immediately engaging piece of work that deserves your attention. You can check it out below:

The video was shot on Praia de Almagreira beach in Portugal and directed by the prolific French music video director Yoann Lemoine (Katy Perry – “Teenage Dream“, Lana Del Rey – “Born to Die“, Harry Styles – “Sign of the Times”). Speaking with NME recently Lemoine said “Twigs approached me with a beautiful treatment for “killer” that she had written about her personal story. It felt empowering and vulnerable at the same time. I said yes instantly when she asked me to direct it. It was the perfect opportunity to portray her in a way that we have not seen before, raw and intimate“. Going on he explained “The video is about the poison and the fuel that personal trauma is in art. How our experience forces us to create and how sometimes it is only inhibition and violence“.

The overall feeling stirred by the video is a powerful one, with a climactic scene that sees Twigs watch on helpless as she and her lover, now wearing a demonic mask, make love in a hellish landscape. It’s an interesting take on someones facade slipping the more you become engrossed in them, with the mask seeming to represent her partners true identity, it can be seen as a twist on the well trodden Scooby-Doo reveal that we’re all used to. It’s a vulnerable and nightmarish take on trauma and the dangerously hypnotic nature of love, with Twigs representing herself as honestly as ever.

Elsewhere FKA twigs has released a handful of music videos recently for tracks from her 2022 mixtape Caprisongs, including “Papi Bones,” “Honda,” and “Oh My Love”.

In a candid and forthcoming interview with GQ, Barnett revealed how close she came to losing her home after having to cancel all of her upcoming shows whilst not being able to claim the Governments small business loans “I came really close, and it made me pay attention and learn a lot about things that I never really paid attention to before, because I’ve always been on the go“. She had a lot of people to pay in her team, and continued doing so despite said losses, but as time went by and her balance ran lower, it became increasingly hard to find a solution in a world turned upside down by the pandemic.

With the ban on live music taking out a huge chunk of her earnings, she felt the pinch of agreements she had signed up to earlier in her career when she was less aware of the small prints repercussions. Learning from it all now, it’s served as a sharp wake up call to the singer who is now placing more emphasis on her business practice and personal sovereignty in an industry that often seeks to take it away.

Speaking with GQ‘s Briana Younger in a typically thoughtful and open manner, she said “It has been intimidating for me being a young woman running a business because I felt like I didn’t deserve to understand everything. I felt like I didn’t deserve to understand the contracts – or even, sometimes now, when you do a song, there’s royalties, publishing, there’s points, there’s who gets paid first”. 

Now she feels like she’s matured and gained enough experience of the industry to deserve a seat at the table and be at the helm of the decision making of her business “I’m learning, and I want to make my own mistakes. I don’t want other people to make mistakes and then me not understand what’s happened… I think it’s important for specifically young women in a creative industry to have the confidence to understand their business and have the confidence to understand their worth and have the confidence to want more for themselves”.

You can check out FKA Twigs latest single “Killer” here: