An interesting pairing! Closely following FKA twigs' pop-rap-sounding recent release, she is now guesting on the opening track of Yung Lean’s new mixtape, Stardust. Never one to get rave reviews for his music, Yung Lean is undeniably popular and influential, but his newest release is yet another bland work overall. One song stands out thanks to the presence of FKA twigs, who seemingly can do no wrong.
Driving production with constantly shifting beats and textures makes “Bliss” a bit chaotic, but FKA twigs’ incredible hook ties things together with its absolute perfection. The marriage of sonic movement and smoothed-out vocal lines works exceptionally for the track, and even with a typically monotone performance from Yung Lean, “Bliss” is exciting and easily repeatable.
The Swedish cloud rap star has hardly stayed quiet since his 2013 debut. He now has four studio albums and four mixtapes as Yung Lean and releases music as Jonatan Leandoer as well. The song 'Ginseng Strip 2002' from his debut EP is still his most popular track.
FKA twigs, unlike Yung Lean, is an artist never content with being unchallenging. With only two studio albums, she has revolutionized electronic music. LP1 and Magdalene both thrilled critics with a combination of pop-leaning material, radiant singing, ambient music, and sonic assault. Her newest release, the mixtape Caprisongs, is a much more fun listen, but her old music will continue to haunt the 2010s in the best way.
You can stream these artists’ music on any streaming service, with the latter particularly recommended!