Newsletter

The Future of Music Began Ten Years Ago

Oliver Bouchard, Elke Nominikat

Sep 26, 2024 — 4 min read

Jenny Holzer at the Guggenheim (Photo: Oliver Bouchard)

The new FKA twigs single “Eusexua” is excellent and I’m happy about that. twigs, like Grimes, is an artist I have been following from the beginning of her career and feel a personal connection to, despite both having grown into global stardom.

10 to 15 years ago, music discovery worked very differently. This was pre-glamglare, so we did not have direct access to artists and PR agencies. However, you could find new music by reading blogs and following the right people on Twitter. I do not remember where I learned about twigs (she had to adopt the “FKA” a few months later), but the song “How’s That” connected with me, and I posted it on my Tumblr account, which unfortunately seems lost. In 2013, there was then growing excitement about FKA twigs. When Grimes wrote an admiring piece on her Tumblr, I was even more fascinated with the artist. We were on a trip to Seattle then, and I played the only three available songs on repeat on the flight back.

In 2014, FKA twigs was announced to play the Fader Fort at SXSW, but that show was canceled. However, a few weeks later, she announced two shows in NYC. Again, it was different times, so I could snatch two tickets before they sold out in a flash.

FKA twigs at The Westway {Photo: Oliver Bouchard)

We went to her Manhattan show at the nightclub The Westway, where twigs had a gig as a dancer a few years earlier. The show was brilliant: accompanied by three musicians on SPD drum pads, she seduced the audience with her voice and mythical dance moves. After the gig, she mingled with us at the bar and had time for a brief chat and even a photo with us.

FKA twigs – not unlike Grimes – unfortunately became more famous for her choice of boyfriends than for her music. She dated Hollywood A-listers, one of them she later sued because of abuse. Those are good reasons to lose your creative spark and coast along with hit-maker-generated chart material. That is why I’m so happy that she obviously still wants to push boundaries with her music.

glamglare favorites

Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify or below on YouTube.

“Alternative R&B” was the genre of FKA twigs’ music. She did not like the label, but it put her together with an eclectic group of women experimenting with new ideas for pop music. This week’s five new songs feature songs from 2013 and 2014 that fall into this category. One artist, SZA, has by now grown into a top 40 superstar, and her first EPs are unfortunately no longer available for streaming, but you still can find the songs on YouTube, for example, “Advil”. The other three new songs are by Kelela, Banks, and Jessy Lanza.

Song Pick of the Day

Carla Aakre, Skateland, Polly, FKA twigs, Oklou, Daisy the Great, and Dawn Cadence

Listen to/watch all seven songs on [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBZBrXEVQLhsEIRatJhWyR8jYfAh-UPsm&si=9j3vkwyd1Zmbd9b9](Link Here). Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features or subscribe here to receive them into your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

New Albums Out This Week

When we post a Song Pick of the Day, we usually put the album release in our calendar, which often seems way out in the future. Not anymore: tomorrow marks September 27, and a batch of highly anticipated albums will be available for our -and your- enjoyment. The list also includes an experimental electronic album by Ilkama, one-half of the Norwegian duo Sgrow, which we featured many times here on glamglare. It’s good to have new music from her.

Nine Photos of the MoMA Member Reception for the Thomas Schütte Retrospective

Sommer made one blissful appearance yesterday evening when we enjoyed strolling through MoMA’s beautiful garden, sipping on a drink, chatting with fellow art lovers, and checking out the new exhibit in between. Thomas Schütte is a contemporary artist born in Germany, and his work will be on display until January 18, 2025. Find here more info about the artist and the retrospective, and enjoy some impressions here.