FKA Twigs Outshines Prince At Gig, Talks Career As Backup Performer

FKA Twigs is slowly taking control of the universe, and it's likely due to her work ethic. The former backup dancer said she's written a song every day since turning 16 — a routine that has brought her to the brink of stardom.

"As more time goes on, I realize how much I hated it," she said of her role as a backup entertainer (Rolling Stone). "If I didn't connect with it creatively, sometimes it would be a bit like, 'Ugh, why am I doing this?' Like a tiny cog in a wheel. But at the time I was very grateful — I'd do a music video and make £200 from it. It would have taken me a week and a half to make that doing four jobs."

The 26-year-old dropped her full-length debut, LP1, in August.

"When it comes to sound, I'm a massive geek," she said. "I often write over just drums, with no melodic information or key changes. Then I put in everything I can think — everything, everything — until it's just a massive wall, sometimes with no BPM, no structure, nothing. It's usually three in the morning by then, and I'm like, 'OK, I have to stop.' Then the next day I'll go in and just chip away at it and keep on chipping."

She got the chance to open for Prince at his Minnesota studio — Paisley Park — last weekend, a surprise gig from the Purple One that had people whooping with joy.

But local radio station The Current made a surprising observation: Although the showy grand finale by His Purpleness definitely slathered some icing on the cake, the star of the night was FKA twigs, who kept the small audience rapt throughout her enthralling set.

Outplaying Prince? In his own facility? That's the sign of a star. Check out her latest single "Pendulum."

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Fka twigs, Prince