Björk

1965–1984: Early life and career beginnings

Björk Guðmundsdóttir was born on 21 November 1965 in Reykjavík. She was raised by her mother, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir (7 October 1946 – 25 October 2018), an activist who protested against the development of Iceland's Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant, having divorced from Björk's father, Guðmundur Gunnarsson, an electrician and union leader, after Björk was born. She and her mother moved into a commune. Her stepfather is Sævar Árnason, a former guitarist in the band Pops.

Style

Over her solo career, Björk has developed an eclectic and avant-garde musical style that incorporates aspects of electronic, dance, alternative dance, trip hop, experimental, glitch, jazz, alternative rock, instrumental, and contemporary classical music. Her music has since been subject to critical analysis and scrutiny, as she consistently defies categorisation in a musical genre. Although she often calls herself a pop artist, she is considered a "restlessly experimental creative force". According to The New Yorker's Taylor Ho Bynum Her album Debut, which incorporated electronic, house, jazz, and trip hop, has been credited as one of the first albums to introduce electronic music into mainstream pop. Her work has been described as...

Influences

While Björk said that she was influenced by "everything", she has cited Stockhausen, Kraftwerk, Steve Reich, Brian Eno and Mark Bell as some of the people who influenced her the most. Some "confessional singer-songwriters" Björk commends include Abida Parveen, Chaka Khan, Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, with the last of whom being a definitive influence in her career. Mitchell also inspired her to write her own songs, saying that Mitchell "created her own [female musical universe]", and found it "very liberating". According to Pulse: "a lot of Björk's early influences were books (Georges Bataille's Story of the Eye, Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita) and films (Tampopo, Star Wars, The Tin Drum) available internationally. [...] But...

Legacy

Musicians from a wide array of genres have expressed admiration or cited Björk as an inspiration. These artists include: Solange Knowles, Danny Brown, Beyoncé, Eartheater, Perfume Genius, Travis Scott, SZA, Ellie Goulding, Michelle Zauner, Missy Elliott, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, Mitski, Christine and the Queens, AURORA, Kali Uchis, Kelela, Prince, Maggie Rogers, Amy Lee, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jeff Buckley, Hayley Williams of Paramore,

Army of Me

"Army of Me" is a song by the Icelandic musician Björk for her second studio album, Post (1995). It was released on 24 April 1995 by One Little Indian as the lead single from the album.

The song was written and produced by Björk and Graham Massey, who helped her in producing and writing the majority of her album. Lyrically, the song was inspired by the damaging behavior of Björk's brother, and in the lyrics she tells him to stand up to regain control of his life.

Background

"Army of Me" was written in 1992 by Björk and Graham Massey, during one of the first recording sessions for Debut, along with "The Modern Things", but Björk decided to put the songs on hold and to wait for releasing them. Even so, Björk performed the songs during some dates on her Debut tour. The singer further explained the song: "Imagine you're in a club full of heavy metal types and grunge people; 'Army of Me' is like someone's granny blasting out over the PA and saying, 'Snap out of it! Stop whining! Wash your hair! Smarten yourself up!'"

Composition

"Army of Me" is an aggressive industrial rock and trip hop song with elements of techno dominated by a heavy bassline in C Locrian. The song's drum part is sampled from Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks". Mim Udovitch has described the song as "grinding techno fusion".

Critical reception

In a positive review, Heather Phares of AllMusic stated that "'Army of Me' casts Björk against type as a warrior goddess fed up with whining, instead of her usual cyber-pixie persona...the song's pounding industrial beat, menacing synth bass, and unusually aggressive lyrics ('And if you complain once more / You'll meet an army of me') stand in sharp contrast to the rest of the album and to most of her previous work." Eric Handerson of Slant Magazine found that the song "provocatively merges a Weather Report-esque jazz-fusion bass riff with a heavy-timbered rock drumbeat to match her contemptuous vocal delivery ('Self-sufficience, please!')" Natalie Curtis described the song as "inelegant"; Mim Udovitch of Rolling Stone dubbed it "ominous,...

Reception

The video was well received by critics. Quoted by Tim Walker of The Independent, The New Yorker’s music critic, Sasha Frere-Jones describes “Army of Me”: "catchy, commercial song that was utterly original, and she's easily beautiful enough to have taken advantage of her sexuality in the video, but instead she got Michel Gondry to make a brilliant promo about her going to a gorilla dentist to get a huge diamond pulled out of her mouth". Gondry's visual imagery was heavily praised: "Gondry is a treat with visual details in defining his realities, and he provides in 'Army of Me'. The museum sequence furnishes an example: Before Björk bombs it, there are many artworks on the walls, each piece reflecting the apparent banality of the museum. One...

Human Behaviour

"Human Behaviour" is a song by Icelandic recording artist Björk, released on 7 June 1993 by One Little Indian as the lead single from her debut studio album, Debut (1993). Produced by Björk's longtime collaborator Nellee Hooper, it reflects upon human nature and emotion from an animal's point of view.

The song and video were inspired by British broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough.

Background and inspiration

"Human Behaviour" was written by Nellee Hooper and Björk, and was produced by Hooper. The song was first written in 1988 when Björk was still the leading singer of the Sugarcubes; however, she decided not to release it with the band. "Human Behaviour" is a house song with a four-on-the-floor style, characteristic of the music in Debut. It features a "bouncing riff" sampled from Antônio Carlos Jobim, with "its syncopated beat consigned to a venerable orchestral instrument, the timpani."

Critical reception

The song was well received by music critics. In a retrospective review, Terry Nelson from Albumism said it is "brilliant", noting it as "a smart and quirky observation of us very strange humans as seen through the eyes of an animal." For AllMusic's Heather Pares, the song's "dramatic percussion provides a perfect showcase for her wide-ranging voice". Upon the single release, Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote that it "has her ripping that harsh and distinctive voice over a stark, militaristic dance beat. Alternative programmers surely will be captivated by the mystical combo of what eventually become mantra-like vocals and an insinuating bassline." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report stated that here, Björk "gets off to an awesome...

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Human Behaviour" was directed by French director Michel Gondry, and this was the first time he and Björk collaborated. Björk talked about the video in an interview with Rolling Stone:

Reception

The video was well received by music critics, who complimented its originality. Critics praised also the chemistry between Gondry and Björk: "The imagery of 'Human Behaviour' is a web of various physical, in-camera effects that Gondry uses throughout his film career. Models, composites, screen projections (all featured in image eight), and lighting (see image two) abound in Björk's emotional woodlands. Colors are deep and saturated. In addition to his unique perceptions of Björk's music, Gondry's art of storytelling are unique to the music video world. 'Human Behaviour' is a story of predator and prey. In search of food, a bear clomps through a forest in the evening. A rugged hunter stalks the woods in pursuit of his game. Björk, as...

Joga

"Jóga" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer, songwriter, and actress Björk for her third studio album, Homogenic (1997). An electronica song, "Jóga" fuses these elements with baroque and classical styles.

The track's sound was partially inspired by Icelandic music, containing what have been described as "volcanic beats". Lyrically, the piece is an ode to Björk's native land and her best friend, while containing subtexts relating to the state of emergency.

Recording and production

Like most of Homogenic, "Jóga" was recorded and produced at El Cortijo in Málaga, Spain. Björk wrote the song while walking and admiring the landscape, a common way for her to write songs since childhood.

Music and lyrics

"Jóga" is dedicated to—and named after—Björk's best friend, Jóga Gnarr Jóhannsdóttir (the wife of former Mayor of Reykjavík Jón Gnarr), whom Björk would usually thank in her album credits. The song is also a dedication to her native Iceland, an example of Björk's desire to have a conceptual focus on the country for Homogenic. Referring to this concept, she told Oor: "The electronic beats are the rhythm, the heartbeat. The violins create the old fashioned atmosphere, the colouring." "Jóga" has been described as "the real conceptual heart of the record" and "a sonic picture of the geographical beauty of her homeland". The track showcases these hybrid elements of strings and electronic backing beats through the album, thus being described as...

Critical reception

"Jóga" has received acclaim from music critics ever since its release. Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that "Björk lets a little light shine through "Jóga"" and described it as a "moving song", listing it as one of the album highlights. Furthermore, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine labelled the track "adrenaline", while Spin's James Hunter found that Björk delved into "the fuller, more womanly tone she unveiled on Post," and that the song "depicts one woman's emotional agenda in the presence of luxurious modern architecture: exaggerated corners, nonexistent ceilings, and beautiful doors."

Possibly Maybe

"Possibly Maybe" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth single from her second album Post (1995). It is a song with deep electronic tones and soft beats that reflects on potential love.

Released by label One Little Indian in the United Kingdom as the fifth single from the album, it reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1996.

Background

The song details different stages of a breakup. Björk has said it was "the first unhappy song I wrote… I felt ashamed writing a song that was not giving hope". The melancholic piece was dedicated to her broken relationship with Stéphane Sednaoui, who, curiously, also directed the video. Rumours have persisted that Björk recorded the song in the nude, although this has not been publicly commented on. The slide guitar heard in the background of the song was originally intended to be its focal point, as Björk initially strived for an "ambient country" sound inspired by Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game". Björk was sued by British electronic musician Scanner for the uncleared sample of telephones ringing (from his album Mass Observation) at the start...

Critical reception

British magazine Music Week rated the song four out of five, adding that "this gorgeous ballad from Post is released with some diverse, and weird, mixes as a taster for the upcoming mixes album Telegram."

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Possibly Maybe" was directed by French artist Stéphane Sednaoui, for a song that is about his failed relationship with Björk. The singer and the director had previously worked together in the music video for "Big Time Sensuality". In the clip, she appears "as a goddess, floating out from a numinous light-streaked background." It shows Björk in a variety of different rooms in an apartment. She is primarily shown in a large, stylish bedroom with modern décor. These scenes are intercut with shots in ultra-violet lighting (which subsequently causes everything to appear in day-glo colours). She is also shown in three other rooms: submerged in the bathtub of a bathroom; an Asian-themed room; and a room full of...

Covers

The track was covered by Final Fantasy and Ed Droste for music website Stereogum's 2008 online tribute to Post. As Droste has stated, "Björk is probably my most listened to and adored artist thus far in my life."

Hunter

"Hunter" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her third studio album Homogenic (1997). The lyrics explore the pressure Björk felt to write music after realising the workforce that depended on her, following the success she found as a solo artist with her previous studio albums.

Music and lyrics

The opening track of Homogenic, "Hunter" showcases the hybrid elements of strings and electronic backing beats through the album. It blends the live sound of the Icelandic String Octet —orchestrated by Eumir Deodato—, Yasuhiro Kobayashi's accordion and "stuttering computer beats and beeps" programmed by Mark Bell. Music journalist Evelyn McDonnell wrote "the production showed Björk's steeping in the cutting edge of electronic dance-music culture, her embrace of techno futurism, her time spent pulling all-nighters in London clubs. But the emotion was ancient, deeply human". The song has been described as "dark", "uncompromising" and "icy". According to Ray Gun, "Hunter" evokes an eerie terrain with rolling techno beats and strings...

Release

"Hunter" was first made available for streaming prior to the release of Homogenic. In early 1998, it was announced that "Alarm Call" would be released as the third single off the album, followed by "Hunter". By March, no release dates had been specified, although the production of the music video was announced. In April, plans for "Alarm Call" as the third single were suspended and "Hunter" was chosen instead. It was first released in France on 3 June. The release date of "Hunter" was confirmed to be 5 October in September. There were three different CD releases of "Hunter" in the United Kingdom, which were subsequently released via a box set in early 1999. "Hunter" was also included on Björk's greatest hits album Greatest Hits (2002),...

Critical reception

"Hunter" garnered acclaim from music critics, who complimented its elaborate production, its haunting melody and cryptic lyrics. Marvin Lin from Tiny Mix Tapes called it "painfully beautiful". Jack Dickey of Deadspin considered "Hunter" one of the only two songs in the album where "the instruments win out" and wrote it "is like Peter and the Wolf if, instead of a merciful hunter, Artemis were chasing the wolf." In a review for the single release, Keir Langley of AllMusic praised the rhythm and intensity of the track as a showcase of her collaboration with Mark Bell. The Wire's Louise Gray thought it was an "extraordinary, mesmeric song." Evelyn McDonnell wrote "I myself had used the prevalent critical category for Björk uncategorizable...

Reception and analysis

The video received critical acclaim. Freeze Frame deemed the video "primal" and complimented Björk on keeping the attention of the viewer by only showing her head and shoulders, thus comparing it to "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. I.D. Magazine praised its special effects, writing they "reach a new level of detail in [the music video]" and compared the singer's transformation to that of the title character in Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Louise Gray of The Wire described the music video as "extraordinary" and "deeply affecting". Cultural theorist Dominic Pettman, while analyzing the "becoming-animal" theorized by Deleuze and Guattari, found that the video for "Hunter" —along with the character Treadwell...

Hyperballad

"Hyperballad" is a song by the Icelandic musician Björk, released in February 1996, by One Little Indian, as the fourth single from her second solo album, Post (1995). It was written by Björk and co-produced by her long time collaborator Nellee Hooper.

Lyrics

In the lyrics, Björk describes living at the top of a mountain and going to a cliff at sunrise. She throws objects off the edge while pondering her own suicide. The ritual allows her to exorcise darker thoughts and return to her partner. Björk stated that "I feel that words can have a mysticism or a hidden meaning. On 'Hyperballad', the idea that I'm throwing car parts from a cliff is about getting out my frustrations."

Critical reception

"Hyperballad" was highly acclaimed by contemporary music critics. Mike Diver of BBC Music said "Hyper-Ballad – single four of six taken from this 11-tracker – is similarly striking [to "Army of Me"], and remains among the very finest songs in Björk’s canon [...] perfectly is an indelibly excellent example of music meeting art. It’s a benchmark of successful audio-visual synergy." Steve Baltin from Cash Box named it "Pick of the Week", noting that it "glistens with the dazzling light heartedness that characterizes the critically-hailed Post collection." He added, "With disco undercurrents beneath the strong pop grooves, "Hyper-Ballad" is a delightful track that all fans of quality music will enjoy. [...] Don't be surprised if this song...

Music video

The music video for "Hyperballad" was directed by frequent collaborator Michel Gondry. It features Björk as a video game character who runs through an obscure, two-dimensional landscape of pylons before throwing herself off a cliff. This sequence, along with several others (including blinking lights and some of herself performing the song), are projected onto a three-dimensional shot of Björk lying amongst a mountainous landscape.

Reception

Music writer Carol Vernallis felt Gondry developed texture with an aesthetic that does not become "too coy or sickly sweet" by incorporating "a whiff of death"; pointing out that in the video, "Björk's head resembles a death mask". A reviewer, D File, wrote: "Due partially to my personal puzzlement in understanding this video and the construction of its imagery, I’ve concluded that 'Hyperballad' is, if nothing else, one of the most avant-garde pieces of music video in the late 20th century. At one glance, the composites completely coalesce with the elements of the song. Yet the imagery is so transcendent of any other pop promo. Upside, inside out."

Jóga

"Jóga" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer, songwriter, and actress Björk for her third studio album, Homogenic (1997). An electronica song, "Jóga" fuses these elements with baroque and classical styles.

The track's sound was partially inspired by Icelandic music, containing what have been described as "volcanic beats". Lyrically, the piece is an ode to Björk's native land and her best friend, while containing subtexts relating to the state of emergency.

Recording and production

Like most of Homogenic, "Jóga" was recorded and produced at El Cortijo in Málaga, Spain. Björk wrote the song while walking and admiring the landscape, a common way for her to write songs since childhood.

Music and lyrics

"Jóga" is dedicated to—and named after—Björk's best friend, Jóga Gnarr Jóhannsdóttir (the wife of former Mayor of Reykjavík Jón Gnarr), whom Björk would usually thank in her album credits. The song is also a dedication to her native Iceland, an example of Björk's desire to have a conceptual focus on the country for Homogenic. Referring to this concept, she told Oor: "The electronic beats are the rhythm, the heartbeat. The violins create the old fashioned atmosphere, the colouring." "Jóga" has been described as "the real conceptual heart of the record" and "a sonic picture of the geographical beauty of her homeland". The track showcases these hybrid elements of strings and electronic backing beats through the album, thus being described as...

Critical reception

"Jóga" has received acclaim from music critics ever since its release. Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that "Björk lets a little light shine through "Jóga"" and described it as a "moving song", listing it as one of the album highlights. Furthermore, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine labelled the track "adrenaline", while Spin's James Hunter found that Björk delved into "the fuller, more womanly tone she unveiled on Post," and that the song "depicts one woman's emotional agenda in the presence of luxurious modern architecture: exaggerated corners, nonexistent ceilings, and beautiful doors."