As things heat up between
Robert Pattinson and his rumored new ladylove
FKA Twigs, we couldn't help but wonder what the real deal is with the 26-year-old British singer.
Check out the five things to know about FKA Twigs!
Her real name is Tahliah Barnett: The half Jamaican, half Spanish music artist was nicknamed "twigs" because of the way her bones cracked when she danced, according to
Interview magazine. When she was coming up with a stage name, she added FKA ("Formerly Known As") to it because American pop duo The Twigs had already taken the moniker. But, there was still some drama behind that. "
The Twigs said that because I'm saying 'formerly known as twigs', that means that once I was called 'twigs', and so I can't be called twigs now. The only way I won't have to change my name is if they say that I don't have to," she told
Dazed. "I'm not angry, but I do feel sad about it. I might call myself FKA tree trunk. Or FKA baby branches. Or IRL twigs."
2.
She was teased for being mixed race: Twigs said she was singled out for the way she looked when she attended Catholic school. "People said horrible things about something I had no control of, which was tough," she told
Dazed. "But that's okay. Life isn't supposed to be easy, is it? I never really saw anything wrong with how I looked, it was more that certain people pointed things out to you about yourself."
"Half of my life I've had people staring at me because they think I'm funny-looking and ugly," she continued. "The other half of my life I've had people staring at me because they think I'm fascinating. Everything neutralizes."
3. She is a trained dancer: Money was tight as she was growing up, but her parents managed to save enough to pay for her dance lessons. She channeled all of her energy into that, winning most of the competitions she entered, according to
Dazed, and went on to dance in music videos for the likes of
Kylie Minogue,
Ed Sheeran and
Jessie J. At the age of 17, she moved to London to attend dance school, but ended up dropping out to pursue her music career.
4. Her debut album is getting major buzz. : LP1 was released in August and critics were impressed. For example, Christopher Hooton at the UK Independent wrote,"FKA Twigs
emerges the high priestess of R&B's latest corruption, and the world will kneel at the altar."
5. She likes to keep it real: "I get airbrushed too, keep sh*t in perspective,"
she wrote on Instagram. "I just like making music and visuals, everything else is either a flattering filter or a man made illusion. I don't want to be a part of the beauty myth, it's not helpful to any of us. Go to school, learn an instrument and give up selfies or at least keep the ratio equal to creativity and intelligence lol."