“Killer” by FKA Twigs
FKA Twigs is a singer/songwriter with strong poetic inclinations. As such, even though it can be said that “Killer” ultimately breaks down to a more or less standard heartbreak sentiment, the lyrics are very metaphorical, and one may even say powerful.
Indeed the title itself is a strong metaphor, in which the vocalist seems to be likening a less-than-ideal romantic partner, i.e. the addressee, to “a killer”. Such a designation would imply that said individual is abusive, a notion touched upon in the second verse. Furthermore, he is indirectly presented as being abusive primarily from an emotional/psychological standpoint.
But more to the intended point is the notion that falling in love, in reality, is not a small matter and more specifically not so from a female perspective. As insinuated, it isn’t so much that FKA gave her heart to the addressee, but more like he took it from her. So now that he’s deciding not to treat her well, Twigs is really a mess. For example, as revealed in the bridge, she has even lost her desire to eat.
And through it all there also seems to be this expression of a need for divine guidance in romance, so to speak. The vocalist appears to perceive being in love, ideologically, is a “holy” affair. So the fact that she has to suffer in a romance which is not so is making matters worse. In her eyes, it is almost as if she has been cast into her feelings for a man who ultimately isn’t worth it.
Release of “Killer”
It’s been awhile since FKA dropped a studio album, dating back to 2019’s “Magdalene”. However, she did come out with a mixtape, “Caprisongs”, earlier in 2022.
“Killer” was released by Atlantic Records and another label called Young. It came out on 16 June 2022 as a standalone single on said date.
Credits
FKA Twigs is credited as both a writer and producer of this track, as is Jonny Coffer. Additional contributors are El Guincho on the production side, as well as Amanda Ghost and Jimmy Napes adding to the authoring of “Killer”.
Important to Note:
Twigs was recently in a romantic relationship with Hollywood A lister Shia LeBeouf. Their relationship eventually ended in all types of well-publicized drama.
It is possible the lyrics of “Killer” were inspired by the said romance. In one interview about this song, Twigs said falling in love can be a very dangerous thing for a woman. To her, when things go wrong in the romance and a heartbreak occurs, it can severely mess with the woman’s “trajectory”. According to her, that is the concept she explores in “Killer”.
