Björk, full name, Björk Guðmundsdóttir , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter, producer, actress and multi-instrumentalist. Her new album released last month Vulnicura consolidates three decades in the music business, first starting as the lead singer of alternative rock band The Sugarcubes, who in 1987 achieved a hit single in both the US and UK with ‘Birthday’. Björk began her career as a solo artist in 1993, her debut album appropriately titled Debut, the opening lines being “If you ever get close to a human” and focusing a lot around people observation. It featured two top 20 singles and consisted of her typical versatility in terms of genre, ranging from electronic dance music, house, jazz and trip-hop. With this album, she was pinned as one of the first people to introduce electronic dance music into the mainstream. She also exclusively stated that she recorded a section of Debut in a toilet somewhere in London.
Björk has been seen to be constantly evolving her sound. The second album Post released in 1995, showed a larger interest in dance and techno, along with a stronger jazz sound. In the same year, her following increased dramatically; a fan sent her a letter bomb, which was luckily intercepted before it reached her. After this incident, Björk did consider retirement, and it wasn’t until two years later she released her next two albums, Telegram and Homogenic.
2000 saw her try her hand at acting, appearing in the critically acclaimed film Dancer in the Dark. She also scored the film and ended up winning best actress at the Cannes film festival along with a golden globe nomination. Her next album Vespertine was released in 2001, some of the lyrics consisting of quotes by EE Cummings. With her 2004 album Medulla Björk decided to focus on vocals and wanted to produce a voice orientated album, however this didn’t go completely to plan as although it did feature vocals, lots of electronic programming was also involved. This album again featured EE Cummings’ work within the lyrics. Volta was released in 2007, which she produced herself. Björk’s next album Biophilla, she collaborated with Apple in an innovative new project where by her album was released as a series of apps, becoming the ‘first app album’.
Björk, ever since she was a child saw David Attenborough as her idol, (see video below), and apparently the admiration was mutual as in 2013 they conceded to create the documentary ‘When Björk met Attenborough’. The documentary, with Björk and Attenborough explored the connection between music and the world, Björk being very influenced by nature and using that and biology to help us understand musical structure in her new album Biophilla.
Although it’s been said in the past decade, Björk’s music has perhaps been underwhelming, that is not to be said with her latest album Vulnicura, which was released last month. It is the ultimate breakup album, arranged chronologically from the unstable time before the breakup, the confusion after, and the drawn out recovery. ‘History Of Touches’ pinpoints the exact moment the relationship ceases to exist, as she vulnerably vocalises the end; “feeling this is our last time together”, and looks back upon all their intimacy. ‘Black Lane’ documents months after the breakup and the overthinking that came with it, “did I love you too much?” We then see her gain strength from her melancholy; “If I regret us, I’m denying my soul to grow/ Don’t remove my pain/ It is my chance to heal,” she sings on ‘Not Get’.
The album is filled with haunting vocals, set to slow electronic beats and orchestral strings, again demonstrating Björk’s ability to merge every sort of music and create something original that stands alone in its genre. It’s honest and direct and arguably her most triumphant yet.
Words by Daisy Lester