Perfect Pitch: "EUSEXUA Afterglow"

Belmont Vision Multimedia, Haley Ramsey

Welcome back to another edition of “Perfect Pitch,” a series where members of the Belmont Vision review the latest releases in music and look for the next big thing.   

This week, we’ll be discussing “EUSEXUA Afterglow”, the fourth studio album from British singer-songwriter and dancer Tahliah Barnett, known professionally as FKA Twigs.

This album is a sequel to the initial “EUSEXUA,” which was released in January and nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Upon her second release of the year, “EUSEXUA” was also reissued on streaming services with a few songs swapped with previously unreleased tracks. While touring the record, Twigs was also featured on songs by Bladee, Oklou and Yeat. She will continue touring with a slot on the Coachella stage in April.

Growing up as a dancer allows Twigs to prioritize mobility and movement in her music. Like the first record, “EUSEXUA Afterglow” expounds on the connection human bodies have to dance through a blend of electronic music with ballroom and rave influences. 

Ria Skyer- Senior Writer

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

General Thoughts: The “Afterglow” accompaniment to Twigs’ first album of the year capitalizes on her strengths as a visual artist. With the eclectic concepts wrapped between the records, visuals associated with “Afterglow” are a bit more tangible to wider audiences while also including references to her past work. The lyrics on “Cheap Hotel” provide images of a rather simple encounter, but the pacing production behind it fills these pictures with color.

The music video for “HARD” was also striking for how Twigs’ dancing becomes more intricate with every section of the song. I appreciated the reference to “Pendulum” from her first album both in her cloning and the intentionality of one Twigs pulling the other with the braids on her head– it’s unusual for an artist to involve that level of symbolism within styling as well.

“Afterglow” is a bit more ballroom than “EUSEXUA,” which offers more allusions to the communal parts of sensuality, the control that comes when people are publicly free with their bodies. The vulnerability described in “EUSEXUA” centers a lot more on personal satisfaction and private self-discovery.

Favorite Song: “HARD”

Least Favorite Song: “Lost All My Friends”

Favorite Lyrics: ‘You told me you hate your life, and I hate all your money.”

Without the context of the first record, do you have a feel for what the concept of “Eusexua” means (since she invented the word)? How does Twigs show that in this set of songs?

After sitting with “EUSEXUA” for almost a year, I can more easily understand the fluidity of the mindset itself, when the original visuals for that record can lead people to assume a more sexual significance. “Afterglow” seems to represent the flow state one reaches alongside eusexua. This album shows that Twigs’ art is intrinsic to her being and the product of her self-actualization. No songs on “Afterglow” seem to further define eusexua, more clarity on the definition lies in the reissued version of “EUSEXUA” which includes bonus tracks in the place of songs found on the standard edition.

Samantha Graessle - Arts and Entertainment 

Overall Rating: 8/10 

General Thoughts: Ten months after “EUSEXUA,” FKA Twigs came back once again to impress me with her artistry and originality. “Afterglow” feels like a more subdued and consistent sister to the original album. The production is beautiful, conveying themes of coming off a high and diving into more complex emotions with the dreamy yet glitchy sounds. I appreciated the vulnerability of her lyricism with many of the songs dissecting Twigs’ internal conflict. I especially enjoyed the PinkPantheress feature, their voices blending seamlessly. Overall, I think I enjoyed “Afterglow” more than the original “EUSEXUA.” 

Favorite Song: “Slushy”

Least Favorite Song: “Cheap Hotel”

Favorite Lyric: “No one knows who you are, and I find that so frustrating. You're more awkward than a stop-start animation. When you say you are not who you are, you got me so locked in, need a crowbar.” 

Without the context of the first record, do you have a feel for what the concept of “Eusexua” means (since she invented the word)? How does Twigs show that in this set of songs?

Within the perspective of “EUSEXUA Afterglow,” the word eusexua itself seems to allude to the fluidity and unpredictability of sexuality. Twigs utilizes more abstract, pulsing and down to earth techno sounds with this album, reflecting the introspective ideas of eusexua. 

Nick Rampe - Managing Editor

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

General Thoughts: “EUSEXUA Afterglow” proved to be a pleasant surprise 10 months after the somewhat underwhelming predecessor “EUSEXUA.” It’s a good thing FKA Twigs decided to create a word for these albums, because this one especially evokes a feeling that’s hard to pin down. Where the original felt somewhat vapid to me, this one is teeming with life and energy. It creates a really addictive soundscape, which ties in seamlessly with the album's themes, and traps the listener in. Also, not to pick on a literal child, but PinkPanthress’ feature fits much better on this album than North West’s did on the first one.

Favorite Song: “Wild And Alone (feat. PinkPantheress)”

Least Favorite Song: “Predictable Girl”

Favorite Lyrics: “I would run away from the lights and all that takes the silence for granted.”

Without the context of the first record, do you have a feel for what the concept of “Eusexua” means (since she invented the word)? How does Twigs show that in this set of songs?

I think this album shows a different and more compelling side of the “eusexua” concept. While the music itself mostly presents an upbeat, proto-house atmosphere, many of the lyrics and the closing tracks feel much more somber. The concept of eusexua is a transcendental euphoria, and this album seems to portray the other side of that. This is what it feels like to reminisce on that transcendent moment and to know it may never happen again.