FKA twigs expands her collection of calling cards on the dreamily constructed Caprisongs mixtape

Twigs positions herself as a best friend, inviting us to join the world of the record with a smile. She does this in ways ranging from voice note extracts to moments where the tracks audibly develop — the vision grows tangibly, half of Caprisongs feeling like a peek behind one of the most exciting curtains in pop. Having often struck an otherworldly note with her artistry, twigs uses this mixtape to remind us of her reality. As she’s said herself, this release is her most lighthearted, surrounding herself with energy and friendships and love that liberate her to poke fun at herself – and that’s where her vulnerability comes from this time. Not through laying out all of her trauma and pain, but by providing something that feels equally necessary for her to have made, peppered with reminders from her friends in those ever-present voice notes.

And what a group of friends, too! The impressive host of features build the Caprisongs world to to formidable heights (With twigs gathering a squad of, to name but a few, The Weeknd, shygirl, Pa Salieu, Jorja Smith…). Caprisongs is FKA twigs’ world and we’re just living in it, but the overarching feel is one of flourishing collaboration and creative synthesis – flexing her production skills as much as she does her knack for intimate songwriting. The biting rhythms of "tears in the club" complement The Weeknd’s immediately recognisable voice; "darjeeling" shimmers and sways effortlessly to accommodate Jorja Smith’s velvety contribution; though twigs consciously tries to create the spontaneous, off-the-cuff atmosphere that makes Caprisongs feel so natural, it’s clear that every feature on every song is meticulously considered and polished seamlessly.

“Each year I’m gonna own my shit… I wanna be more confident, I really do!” goes the opening of meta angel. A self-fulfilling prophecy – because Caprisongs is the sound of twigs owning her shit and propelling it where she wants it to go. With a back catalogue of stunning songs that people can take to lean into in their darkest moments, twigs has now delivered a collection of songs for people to return to on their way out of the dark times. As emotionally sharp as ever, and as easily vulnerable but with some fierce love in her corner, this is the sound of twigs really loving what she does and putting herself at its core.