FEATURE:
Army of Me
IN THIS PHOTO: Björk with Beck in 1998
The Captivating Power, Innovation and Legacy of Björk
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I was watching…
IN THIS PHOTO: Björk in 2015/PHOTO CREDIT: Alasdair McLellan for The Gentlewoman
an episode of Top of the Pops where they were playing the biggest hits of 1995. Among them was Björk performing It’s Oh So Quiet. It got me thinking about her as an artist, and the fact that there is nobody like her. I cannot do full justice in terms of an album-by-album guide or anything deeper. I will end with a playlist containing some of her best songs. I was compelled to write, as she is someone who continues to amaze me. There is rumour that a tenth studio album is due. There are few artists as consistent as her. All of her nine studio albums are exceptional and different. I still hold a very soft spot for her 1993 introduction, Debut. Of course, prior to her solo career, she was the lead of The Sugarcubes. Displaying her extraordinary vocals, it was clear that she was going to go solo. Her debut album is thirty next year. I think there should be some sort of celebration, such as boxsets of her albums or reissues with demos. Despite her being such a singular artist, there has not been much in the way of covers albums. There are so many other artists that are clearly inspired by Björk. It would be great to see one of those come to light. I also think that Björk would be brilliant collaborating with others. Maybe Björk herself tackling other people’s songs. Such is the range of her voice, she can express so many emotions and reinvent any song. As a live performer, she is so compelling and has this rare power and gravity!
I first heard the music of Björk in the 1990s. It might not have been as early as her debut album; maybe 1995’s Post was when I came in. I had not experienced another artist like her until that point! It was not just the fact that this Icelandic singer was performing with a distinct accent. A lot of other artists in the 1990s were putting on an American accent. The way she pronounced words and elongated certain words definitely came across as unusual. I don’t think there were many European artists making it to the mainstream like Björk did in the 1990s. I was compelled to follow her music. It was the videos and interviews that also stood out. Looking and projecting herself like nobody in the industry, you got the sense she was not vying for fame or being a Pop star. Instead, Björk was about artistic vision and individuality. Such a remarkably creative and versatile artist, 2017’s Utopia shows that she is still as remarkable and unique as she has always been. Although the Icelandic legend is beyond comparison and has his own voice, I feel her influence is wide. Modern Pop would not be the same without her. There are some albums that have clearly been impacted and shaped by Björk. I will wrap up with this article that states that, although Björk’s music is perhaps less accessible to all ears and it might take some time to resonate with everyone, her appeal and legacy is wide and spans multiple genres:
“Björk's music, while perhaps less immediately accessible to the general public, is vastly influential to the entire sphere of Western popular music. Since her debut solo album, Debut (1993), she continues to innovate and evolve her sound, altering the course of pop music with every release. It's difficult, then, to describe her legacy in concrete terms. Still an active artist, her legacy continues to evolve as she continues to create. Björk has inspired multiple generations of artists—and has been inspired by those artists in return. It's hard to imagine where we'd be without her.
Björk's most influential body of work thus far is indubitably her third studio album, Homogenic. Released in 1997, this album marked a sharp left turn for her sound and career. Her first two albums, Debut and Post, were created with a broad sonic palate, drawing from a wide variety of influences. They utilized an immense range of genres: the industrial rock–inspired "Army of Me" and the bubblegum pop of "Hyperballad" hardly feel like they belong to the same artist, much less the same album.
Homogenic, on the other hand, feels like "one flavor." It's a frigid, cold album, with a soundscape meant to evoke images of Björk's home, Iceland. Electronic drum programming propels the majority of it, especially evident on cuts like the hard–hitting "Pluto" and album opener "Hunter." At the same time, string arrangements—both synth and acoustic—provide an icy melodic backbone. One endlessly fascinating characteristic of Björk's work is her ability to create grand, gorgeous hooks within unfamiliar and experimental environments. This skill shines through again and again throughout Homogenic. "Jóga," for example, is set against bizarre, inaccessible drum patterns, but opens up completely in the chorus with a haunting melody and brilliant string countermelody.
Homogenic's influence doesn't necessarily lie in its technical innovations to electronica. In 1996, the year before Homogenic was released, English artist Aphex Twin produced the wildly innovative Richard D. James Album. "4," the opening track from the album, could slot easily into Homogenic. Synth strings provide the melody, with an electronic breakbeat propelling the song forward. It's impossible to imagine Homogenic without Aphex Twin, just as it's impossible to imagine pop music without Björk.
Her pivot from the genre–fluid influences behind Debut and Post to the singular, entirely electronic sounds of Homogenic provided the blueprint for numerous artists to undergo similarly comprehensive transformations. Thom Yorke, Radiohead's frontman, has pointed to Homogenic's "Unravel" as his favorite song of all time. It's no coincidence, then, that Radiohead made the famously controversial move from the alt–rock sound of OK Computer to the highly experimental electronica of Kid A. In a 2001 interview, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien stated, "I think we've all been envious about the way Björk has been able to reinvent music."
Without Björk, Radiohead's pivot probably would not have happened in the same capacity, and Kid A, one of the greatest albums of all time, would not exist. Kanye West, too, made an eerily similar transition when he released 808s & Heartbreak (2008). Had Radiohead and Björk never laid the groundwork for this turn nearly a decade before, Kanye may not have had the ability to do so.
Beyond Homogenic, Björk's music still innovates and inspires. Vespertine (2001) was one of the first albums created with the intent to be consumed from the Internet. Her extensive use of "microbeats" aimed to minimize any compression that would occur when downloading the album through services like Napster. Biophilia (2011) was released alongside an app meant to enhance the listening experience and meld visual, technological, and auditory arts into one cohesive package. Vulnicura (2015) and Utopia (2017) were the result of an extensive collaboration with visionary electronic artist Arca, who was the one of the main creative forces behind Kanye West's Yeezus, FKA Twigs' EP2 and LP1, and Kelela's Take Me Apart.
Without Björk, pop music—especially electronica—would not exist in its current capacity. From her ability to constantly and often radically change her sound and appearance, her phenomenal production work, and her lengthy list of collaborators and those influenced by her music, Björk has proven time and time again, over nearly three decades, that she is an unstoppable force of pure, unbridled creativity”.
An artist that amazes and stuns me more than most, I think we will see new music from Björk this year. She is one of the most remarkable and important artists the world will ever see. Go and explore all of her albums and videos – as I only could include a small portion here. The mighty and jaw-dropping Björk is…
AN icon and titanic talent.