Born and raised inReykjavík, Björk began her music career at the age of 11 and gained international recognition as the lead singer of thealternative rock bandthe Sugarcubes by the age of 21.[3] After the Sugarcubes disbanded in 1992, Björk gained prominence as a solo artist with her albumsDebut (1993),Post (1995), andHomogenic (1997), which blended electronic and avant-garde music and achieved significant critical success. Her later albums saw further experimentation, including theglitch-influencedVespertine (2001),a cappella albumMedúlla (2004), pop-focusedVolta (2007), andBiophilia (2011), an interactive album with an accompanyingiPad app. Following the death of her longtime co-producerMark Bell, she collaborated with Venezuelan artistArca on her albumsVulnicura (2015) andUtopia (2017), whileFossora (2022) marked her first venture as a sole producer.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir was born on 21 November 1965 inReykjavík.[12] She was raised by her mother, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir (7 October 1946 – 25 October 2018[13]), an activist who protested against the development of Iceland'sKárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant,[14] having divorced from Björk's father,Guðmundur Gunnarsson, an electrician andunion leader, after Björk was born. She and her mother moved into acommune.[15][16] Her stepfather is Sævar Árnason, a former guitarist in the band Pops.[16]
At six, Björk enrolled at Reykjavík schoolBarnamúsíkskóli, where she studiedclassical piano andflute. She also went to school with the father of fellow Icelandic singerLaufey.[12] After a school recital in which Björk sangTina Charles's 1976 hit "I Love to Love", her teachers sent a recording of her singing the song to theRÚV radio station, which at that time was Iceland's only radio station. The recording was broadcast nationally and, after hearing it, a representative of theFálkinn record label offered Björk a recording contract. Her debut record,Björk, consideredjuvenilia,[a] was recorded when she was 11 years old and was released in Iceland in December 1977.[22]
During her teens, after the diffusion ofpunk rock music in Iceland, Björk formed theall-girl punk band Spit and Snot. In 1980, she formed ajazz fusion group, Exodus, collaborated in another group, JAM80, and graduated from music school.[12] In 1981, she and bassist Jakob Magnússon formed another group,Tappi Tíkarrass ("Cork the Bitch's Ass" inIcelandic), and released theEPBitið fast í vitið ("Bite Hard Into the Mind" in Icelandic), in August 1982. Their albumMiranda was released in December 1983. The group was featured in the documentaryRokk í Reykjavík, with Björk being featured on the cover of theVHS release.[12][23] Around this time, Björk met guitarist Þór Eldon andsurrealist group Medusa, which also included poetSjón, with whom she started a lifelong collaboration and formed a group, Rokka Rokka Drum.[24] She described her time as part of Medusa as "a gorgeous D.I.Y. organic university: extreme fertility!"[25] Björk appeared as a featured artist on "Afi", a track from the Björgvin Gíslason 1983 recordÖrugglega.[16]
Due to the imminent cancelling of radio showÁfangar, two radio personalities, Ásmundur Jónsson and Guðni Rúnar, requested musicians to play on a lastlive radio show. Björk joined with Einar Melax (from the group Fan Houtens Kókó),Einar Örn Benediktsson (from Purrkur Pillnikk),Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson andSigtryggur Baldursson (from Þeyr), and Birgir Mogensen (from Spilafífl) to perform in the concert.[26] The group developed agothic rock sound. During this experience, Björk began to develop her vocalisation – punctuated by howls and shrieks.[12] The project performed as Gott kvöld during the concert. When they later decided to keep playing together as a group, they used the nameKukl ("Sorcery" in Icelandic).[26] Björk's acquaintance gave the group their studio to record in and released their first single in 1983.[26] Their first big performance at a festival in Iceland was headlined by Englishanarchist punk bandCrass, whose record label,Crass Records offered the band a record deal.The Eye was released in 1984, followed by a two-month tour in Europe, which also included a performance atRoskilde Festival in Denmark. This made Kukl the first Icelandic band to play at the festival.[15][26] During this period Björk published a hand-coloured book of poems.Um Úrnat frá Björk was distributed in 1984.[12]
Kukl's second album,Holidays in Europe (The Naughty Nought), came out in 1986. The band split up due to personal conflict, with Björk keeping a collaboration with Guðlaugur, which was namedthe Elgar Sisters. Some of the songs they recorded ended up as B-sides to Björk solo singles.[12][27]
Björk had her first acting role onThe Juniper Tree (filmed in 1986, released in 1990), a tale ofwitchcraft based on theBrothers Grimm story, directed byNietzchka Keene. Björk played the role of Margit, a girl whose mother has been killed for practising witchcraft.[12] That summer, former band member Einar Örn and Eldon formed the arts collectiveSmekkleysa ("Bad Taste" in Icelandic), created with the intention of being both a record label and book publishing company.[12][27] Various friends, namely Melax and Sigtryggur from Kukl, along withBragi Ólafsson and Friðrik Erlingson from Purrkur Pillnikk, joined the group and a band coalesced in the collective solely to make money.[27] They were initially called Þukl, but they were advertised as Kukl (the name of the previous band). At a later concert supporting Icelandic band Stuðmenn, they referred to themselves asSykurmolarnir ("Sugarcubes" in Icelandic). Their first double A-side single, "Einn mol'á mann", which contained the songs "Ammæli" ("Birthday") and "Köttur" ("Cat"), was released on 21 November 1986, Björk's 21st birthday.[27]
Björk in a publicity photo with The Sugarcubes in 1988
At the end of that year, the Sugarcubes signed withOne Little Indian.[27] Their first English single, "Birthday", was released in the United Kingdom on 17 August 1987; a week later, it was declared single of the week byMelody Maker.[27] The Sugarcubes also signed a distribution deal withElektra Records in the United States and recorded their first album,Life's Too Good, which was released in 1988.[28] After the release of the album, Eldon and Björk divorced soon after the birth of their child despite being in the same group.[29] The album went on to sell more than one million copies worldwide.[28] Björk contributed as a background vocalist on 1987 albumLoftmynd byMegas, for whom she provided background vocals also on his subsequent album,Höfuðlausnir (1988), andHættuleg hljómsveit & glæpakvendið Stella (1990).[16]
In the last quarter of 1988, the Sugarcubes toured North America to positive reception.[28] On 15 October, the band appeared onSaturday Night Live. Björk alone contributed a rendition of theChristmas song "Jólakötturinn" ("The Christmas Cat") byIngibjörg Þorbergs on the compilationHvít er borg og bær.[16] The band went on hiatus following the lack of reception ofHere Today, Tomorrow Next Week! (1989) and a lengthy international tour.[29] During this time, Björk started working on her solo projects. In 1990 she provided background vocals onGums by Bless.[16] In the same year, she recordedGling-Gló, a collection of popularjazz and original work, with the jazz groupTríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar, which as of 2011[update] was still her best-selling album in her home country.[12][28] Björk also contributed vocals to808 State's albumex:el, with whom she cultivated her interest inhouse music. She contributed vocals on the songs "Qmart" and on "Ooops", which was released as a single in the UK in 1991.[16] She also contributed vocals to the song "Falling", on the albumIsland byCurrent 93 andHilmar Örn Hilmarsson.[16] In the same year she metharpistCorky Hale, with whom she had a recording session that ended up as a track on her future albumDebut.[12]
At this point, Björk had decided to leave the band to pursue her solo career, but their contract included the making of one last album,Stick Around for Joy (1992), with a subsequent promotional tour, which she agreed to do.[28] Björk was featured on two tracks of the soundtrack for the 1992 filmRemote Control (known asSódóma Reykjavík in Iceland).[16] The Sugarcubes split up after they played one last show in Reykjavík.[28]Rolling Stone called them "the biggest rock band to emerge from Iceland".[30]
Björk moved to London to pursue a solo career. She began working with producerNellee Hooper (who had producedMassive Attack, among others). Their partnership produced Björk's first international solo hit, "Human Behaviour", a dance track based on a guitar rhythm sampled fromAntônio Carlos Jobim. In most countries, the song was not widely played on radio, but its music video gained strong airtime onMTV. It was directed byMichel Gondry, who became a frequent collaborator for Björk.[31] Her first solo album,Debut, was released in June 1993 to positive reviews; it was named album of the year byNME and eventually wentplatinum in the United States.[32]
Debut was the leap Björk made from being in numerous bands during her teens and early twenties to her solo career. She named the albumDebut to signify a start of something new.Debut had a mix of songs Björk had been writing since she was a teenager, as well as more recent lyrical collaborations with Hooper. Thedance-oriented album varied in instrumentation. One single from the album, "Venus as a Boy", featured aBollywood-influenced string arrangement. Björk covered the jazz standard "Like Someone in Love" to the accompaniment of a harp, and the final track, "The Anchor Song", was sung with only a saxophone ensemble for accompaniment.
Post was Björk's second solo studio album. Released in June 1995, the album was produced in conjunction withNellee Hooper,Tricky,Graham Massey of808 State, and electronica producerHowie B. Building on the success ofDebut, Björk continued to pursue different sounds, taking particular interest in dance andtechno. Production by Tricky and Howie B also provided trip hop/electronica-like sounds on tracks like "Possibly Maybe" and "Enjoy". It was these producers' influence along with older friend Graham Massey that inspired Björk to create material like the stormingindustrial beats of "Army of Me". The album was ranked number 7 inSpin's "Top 90 Albums of the '90s" list and number 75 in its "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005" list.[34][35]Post andHomogenic were placed back to back onPitchfork Media's "Top Albums of the '90s" list at numbers 21 and 20, respectively.[36][37] In 2003, the album was ranked number 373 onRolling Stone magazine's list ofthe 500 greatest albums of all time.[38] During this period, the press exalted Björk's eccentricity by creating a "pixie" persona around her,[39] a descriptor she later confronted with her following albums.[40]
Although Björk continued to receive more mainstream attention for her videos than her singles,Post included several UK pop hits and was eventually certifiedplatinum in the US.[32] Björk also contributed to the 1995Hector Zazou collaborative albumChansons des mers froides, singing the traditional Icelandic song "Vísur Vatnsenda-Rósu".
Björk left London for Spain, where she recorded the albumHomogenic,[41] released in 1997. Björk worked with producersMark Bell ofLFO andHowie B, as well asEumir Deodato; numerous remixes followed.Homogenic is regarded as one of Björk's most experimental and extroverted works, with enormous beats that reflect the landscape of Iceland, most notably in the song "Jóga", which fuses lush strings with rocky electronic crunches. The album was certifiedgold in the US in 2001.[32] The album was backed by a string ofmusic videos, several of which received airplay on MTV. The video for "Bachelorette" was directed by frequent collaboratorMichel Gondry, while "All Is Full of Love" was directed byChris Cunningham. The single "All is Full of Love" was also the firstDVD single to ever be released in the US, which paved the way for other artists to include DVD video and othermultimedia features with their singles. Björk began to write more personally, saying "I realised that I'd come to the end of the extrovert thing. I had to go home and search for myself again."[41]
In 1999, Björk was asked to write and produce the musical score for the filmDancer in the Dark, a musical drama about an immigrant named Selma who is struggling to pay for an operation to prevent her son from going blind. DirectorLars von Trier eventually asked her to consider playing the role of Selma, convincing her that the only true way to capture the character of Selma was to have the composer of the music play the character.[42] Eventually, she accepted. Filming began in early 1999, and the film debuted in 2000 at the53rd Cannes Film Festival. The film received thePalme d'Or, and Björk received theBest Actress Award for her role.[10] It was reported that the shoot was so physically and emotionally tiring that she vowed never to act again.[43] Björk later stated that she always wanted to do one musical in her life, andDancer in the Dark was the one.[44] The soundtrack Björk created for the film was released with the titleSelmasongs. The album features a duet withThom Yorke ofRadiohead titled "I've Seen It All", which was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Original Song and was performed at the 2001 Oscars (without Yorke), while Björk was wearing her celebratedswan dress.[45]
Björk at the 2001 Academy Awards, wearing herswan dress
In 2001, Björk released the albumVespertine. It featured chamber orchestras, choirs, hushed vocals, microbeats made from household sounds, and personal, vulnerable themes. For the album, she collaborated with experimental musicians such asMatmos, Denmark-basedDJ Thomas Knak, and harpistZeena Parkins. Lyrical sources included the works of AmericanpoetE. E. Cummings, the American independent filmmakerHarmony Korine, and English playwrightSarah Kane's penultimate play,Crave. To coincide with the album's release,an eponymous coffee table book of loose prose and photographs was published.[46] Björk embarked on theVespertine world tour. The shows were held in theatres and opera houses in order to have "the best acoustics possible." She was accompanied by Matmos, Parkins and anInuit choir, whom she had held auditions for on a trip to Greenland prior to the tour.[47] At the time,Vespertine was Björk's fastest selling album to date, having sold two million copies by the end of 2001.[48]
Vespertine spawned three singles: "Hidden Place", "Pagan Poetry", and "Cocoon".MTV2 played the album's first video, "Hidden Place", which was subsequently released as a DVD single. The next video, for "Pagan Poetry", brought Björk to an even higher level of controversy with the channel. The video features graphic piercings, Björk's exposed nipples, and simulatedfellatio.[49] As a result, the clip was banned from MTV. In 2002, it was aired unedited as part of a late night special on MTV2 titled, "Most Controversial Music Videos". The video for "Cocoon" also featured a seemingly naked Björk (actually wearing a close fitting bodysuit), this time with her nipples secreting a red thread that eventually enveloped her in a cocoon. The video was directed by Japanese artistEiko Ishioka and was not aired by MTV.[50] She was invited to record "Gollum's Song" for the filmThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers but declined the invitation, as she was then pregnant; the song was instead recorded by another Icelander,Emilíana Torrini.
In 2002 the CD box setFamily Tree was issued. It comprised selected rarities as well as previously unreleased versions of her compositions, including her work with theBrodsky Quartet. Also released alongsideFamily Tree was the albumGreatest Hits, a retrospective of the previous 10 years of her solo career as deemed by the public. The songs on the album were chosen by Björk's fans through a poll on her website. A DVD edition of the CD was also released. It contained all of Björk's solo music videos up to that point. The new single from the set, "It's in Our Hands" charted in the UK at number 37.[4] The video, directed bySpike Jonze, features a heavily pregnant Björk. She gave birth to daughter Isadora Bjarkardottir Barney on 3 October 2002.[51] Björk and the Brodsky Quartet recorded "Prayer of the Heart", a composition written for her by composerJohn Tavener in 2001, and it was played then for a slide show presentation in 2003 for the American photographer,Nan Goldin. In 2003, Björk released a box set,Live Box, consisting of four CDs containinglive recordings of her previous albums and a DVD featuring a video of one track from each CD. Each of the four CDs was later released separately at a reduced price.
In August 2004, Björk releasedMedúlla. During production, Björk decided the album would work best as an entirely vocal-based album. This initial plan was modified, as the majority of the sounds on the album are indeed created by vocalists but several feature prominent basic electronic programming, as well as the occasional musical instrument. Björk used the vocal skills ofthroat singerTanya Tagaq,hip hopbeatboxerRahzel, Japanese beatboxerDokaka, avant-rockerMike Patton,Soft Machine drummer/singerRobert Wyatt, and severalchoirs. She again appropriated text from E. E. Cummings for the song "Sonnets/Unrealities XI". At the time,Medúlla became her highest-charting album in the US, debuting at number 14.[52]
In August 2004, Björk performed the song "Oceania" at theOpening Ceremony of the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens. As she sang, her dress slowly unfurled to reveal a 10,000 square foot (900 m2) map of the world, which she let flow over all of the Olympic athletes. The song "Oceania" was written especially for the occasion and features the talents ofShlomo, aLeeds-basedbeatboxer, and a London choir. An alternative version of the song began circulating on the Internet with additional vocals byKelis. It originally appeared on the promotional "Oceania" single released to radio stations and later became available to the public as aB-side of the "Who Is It" single, which charted at number 26 in the UK.[53] This was followed in early 2005 by "Triumph of a Heart", charting at number 31.[54] A video for the potential next single, "Where Is the Line", was filmed in collaboration with the Icelandic artistGabríela Friðriksdóttir in late 2004. This was initially a sequence from an art installation movie of the artists but was released exclusively on theMedúlla Videos DVD as an official promo for the track.
Björk DJing in 2006
In 2005, Björk collaborated with partnerMatthew Barney on the experimental art filmDrawing Restraint 9, a dialogueless exploration ofJapanese culture. Björk and Barney both appear in the film, playing two occidental guests on a Japanese factory whaling vessel who ultimately transform into two whales. She is also responsible for the film's soundtrack, her second afterSelmasongs. Björk also appeared in the 2005 documentaryScreaming Masterpiece, which delves into the Icelandic music scene. The movie features archive footage of the Sugarcubes andTappi Tíkarrass and an ongoing conversation with Björk herself. During this era, Björk earned anotherBRIT Awards nomination for Best International Female Solo Artist.[55] She was also awarded the Inspiration Award at the AnnualQ Magazine Awards in October 2005, accepting the prize from Robert Wyatt, with whom she collaborated onMedúlla.[56] In 2006, Björk remastered her first three solo studio albums (Debut,Post,Homogenic) and her two soundtrack albums (Selmasongs andDrawing Restraint 9) in 5.1 surround sound for a re-issue in a new box-set titledSurrounded, released on 27 June.Vespertine andMedúlla were already available in 5.1 as either DVD-A or SACD but are also included in the box set in repackaged format. TheDualDiscs were also released separately.[57] Björk's former band, the Sugarcubes, reunited for a one-night-only concert in Reykjavík on 17 November 2006. Profits from the concert were donated to the Sugarcubes' former label,Smekkleysa, who according to Björk's press statement, "continue to work on a non-profit basis for the future betterment of Icelandic music".[58]
Björk performing at theBig Day Out festival in Melbourne, 2008
Björk's sixth full-length studio album,Volta, was released on 1 May 2007. It features 10 tracks. The album features input from hip hop producerTimbaland, singerAnohni, poetSjón, electronic beat programmerMark Bell,kora masterToumani Diabaté, Congolese thumb piano bandKonono No 1,pipa playerMin Xiaofen, and, on several songs, an all-female ensemble from Iceland performingbrass compositions. It also uses theReactable, a novel "tangible-interface" synthesizer from theUniversitat Pompeu Fabra inBarcelona, which onVolta is played by Damian Taylor. The first single from the album, "Earth Intruders", was released digitally on 9 April 2007 and became her second-everBillboard Hot 100 entry in the United States.Volta debuted at number nine on theBillboard 200 albums chart, becoming her first top 10 album in the US, netting week-one sales of 43,000. The album also reached number three on the French albums chart with sales of 20,600 albums sold in its first week, and number seven in theUK Albums Chart with 20,456 units sold. The second single from the album, "Innocence", was digitally released on 23 July 2007, with an accompanying music video chosen from a contest conducted through her official website. "Declare Independence" was released on 1 January 2008 in a super deluxe package including two 12" vinyls, a CD, and a DVD featuring Gondry's "Declare Independence" video.[61] "Wanderlust" was subsequently released in a similar format, featuring Encyclopedia Pictura's short film directed for the track, shot instereoscopic3D. The fifth single released from the album was "The Dull Flame of Desire", featuring vocals byAnohni.
Björk then completed the 18-monthThe Volta tour, having performed at many festivals and returning to Latin America after nine years, playing inRio de Janeiro,São Paulo,Curitiba,Guadalajara,Bogotá,Lima,Santiago de Chile, andBuenos Aires, as part of different events. She also returned to Australia and New Zealand for the first time in 12 years in January 2008, touring the nations with theBig Day Out Festival. She played a one-off show at theSydney Opera House as part of theSydney Festival. Her music was featured in the 2008 documentaryHorizons: The Art of Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir directed by Frank Cantor.[62]
Announced via aneBayauction, a new Björk track was revealed under the title "Náttúra". Björk commented the song was intended "to encourage active support for a more environmental approach to Iceland's natural resources." The song was initially labelled as a new single by Björk, with backing vocals from Radiohead frontmanThom Yorke. Björk's official website later stated that the single would be released on 27 October 2008 throughiTunes,[63] but the track was eventually made available at nattura.grapewire.net, exclusively.[64] In a statement released by bjork.com, a limited edition box set titledVoltaïc from One Little Indian Records was announced, with a release date in North America of 20 April 2009 (later delayed to mid-June). The release consists of various live recordings of performances in Paris and Reykjavík. The live set was also recorded at the Olympic Studio in London. The first disc is audio of songs from the Volta tour performed live at Olympic Studios; the second disc contains video of the Volta tour live in Paris and live in Reykjavík; the third disc contains "The Volta Videos" and the video competition, while the fourth isThe Volta Mixes CD.[65]
In May 2010, theRoyal Swedish Academy of Music announced that Björk was to receive thePolar Music Prize alongsideEnnio Morricone.[66] A month later, Björk, along withDirty Projectors, announced that they would be collaborating on a joint EP, titledMount Wittenberg Orca, which was released on 30 June, to raise money for marine conservation.[67] In September 2010, Björk released "The Comet Song" as part of the soundtrack for the movieMoomins and the Comet Chase. Also in 2010, she dueted with fellow Icelander (andOne Little Indian labelmate)Ólöf Arnalds on a track called "Surrender" from Arnalds's new album,Innundir skinni,[68] and performed a duet withAnohni on theAntony and the Johnsons albumSwanlights. The song is titled "Flétta".[69] On 20 September 2010, Björk performed her version of "Gloomy Sunday" at designerAlexander McQueen's memorial in St. Paul's cathedral in London. On 7 December 2010, a previously unreleased song, called "Trance", was released by Björk as the backing track of a short film made by Nick Knight, titled "To Lee, with Love", as a tribute to McQueen, with whom Björk collaborated on multiple occasions.
Björk appeared onÁtta Raddir, one of Jónas Sen's TV shows. The episode aired on 27 February 2011.[70] The shows are produced by the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.[71] In the show Björk performed eight songs, including "Sun in My Mouth", which had not previously been performed live.
Björk performing at the Cirque en Chantier in Paris (February 2013)
Biophilia was released in 2011. The album project combined music with technological innovation and themes of science and nature, including an "app album", educational collaborations with children and specialised live performance, debuting inManchester, United Kingdom at theManchester International Festival on 30 June. This was the first part of theBiophilia tour, that toured the world for two years.
In June 2011, the first single fromBiophilia, "Crystalline", was released.[72] The song was composed using one of the several instruments custom built for the project, the "gameleste", acelesta modified with elements ofgamelan. A central part ofBiophilia was a series of interactiveiPad apps made by programmers and designers, one app for each of the 10 songs on the new album. The second single, "Cosmogony", which served as the "mother app" for all the others, was released on 19 July 2011, followed by "Virus" and "Moon".Biophilia was the first album to be released, in October 2011, as a series of interactive apps.[73] Also in part of the project was Björk'sBiophilia education programme, which consisted of workshops for school-children aged 10–12, that explore the intersection of music and science. The Reykjavík City Board of Education brought the programme to all schools in the city over the next three years.[74]
She released the 2012 remix albumBastards. It featured remixes byDeath Grips and Syrian musicianOmar Souleyman.[75][76] In 2013, Björk featured in aChannel 4 documentary along with SirDavid Attenborough calledWhen Björk Met Attenborough, as part of theirMad4Music season of programmes. Björk and Attenborough discussed the human relationship with music, focusing aroundBiophilia, and also featuring scientistOliver Sacks.[77] In 2014, the apps were the first ever to be inducted into theMuseum of Modern Art's permanent collection.[73] In June, Björk recorded original vocal samples forDeath Grips, which they used on all 8 songs ofNiggas on the Moon, the first part of their double LP,The Powers That B.[78] In late 2014, a concert film,Björk: Biophilia Live, was released worldwide, including in more than 400 cinemas.[79]
Björk worked with producersArca andthe Haxan Cloak on her eight studio album, titledVulnicura.[80] On 18 January 2015, just days after being publicly announced, and two months ahead of its scheduled release, a supposed full version of the albumleaked online.[81][82] In an effort to salvage potential losses in sales due to the leak and to allow fans to hear the album in superior quality, it was made available worldwide on 20 January 2015 on iTunes.[83]Vulnicura is a portrayal of her breakup with former partner,Matthew Barney, with lyrics that are emotionally raw in comparison to the abstract concerns of her previous album.[84] Its surprise release was positively compared to recent album releases fromMadonna andBeyoncé, the former of whom also released her album to iTunes after being leaked, and the latter of whom wanted to revolutionize how albums were released and consumed.[85] Björk began her world tour in March 2015 atCarnegie Hall performing "Black Lake" and other tracks fromVulnicura as well as several from her back catalog with accompaniment from the ensembleAlarm Will Sound, Arca on electronics (on festival datesthe Haxan Cloak took over) and percussionistManu Delago.[86] After completing its New York residency, the tour travelled to Europe before ending in August 2015.
New York'sMoMA hosted aretrospective exhibition from 8 March – 7 June 2015 that chronicled Björk's career fromDebut toBiophilia; however, aspects ofVulnicura were included as well but not previously announced.[87] The retrospective consisted of 4 parts: theBiophilia instruments (Tesla coil,MIDI controlled organ, the newly created Gameleste, and gravity harp) were on display in the lobby of the museum and played automatically throughout the day, the MoMA commissioned video installation, "Black Lake", directed byAndrew Thomas Huang, which consisted of 2 complementary edits of the "Black Lake" video screened in a small room with 49 speakers hidden in the walls and ceiling, a Cinema room showcasing most of Björk's music videos, newly transferred in high definition, and the Songlines walking exhibit which showcased Björk's notebooks, costumes and props from throughout her career. A book entitledBjörk: Archives, documenting the content of the exhibition, was published in March.[88] In addition to the "Black Lake" video, videos for "Lionsong" (which played in the Cinema room of the MoMA exhibit), "Stonemilker" (a 360-degree VR video) "Family", and "Mouth Mantra" were also produced for the album, as well as a three part remix series available digitally and on limited edition vinyls. No traditional singles were released forVulnicura. In December, the "Stonemilker VR App" was released for iOS devices, featuring an exclusive strings mix of the song.[89] It is the same version on display at MoMA earlier that year.
On 2 October 2015,Vulnicura Strings was announced. The album serves as a purely acoustic companion toVulnicura, and features additional string arrangements plus theviola organista, a unique string instrument played on a keyboard designed byLeonardo da Vinci. It was released on 6 November 2015 on CD and digital and 4 December 2015 on vinyl.[90] A week later,Vulnicura Live was announced on double CD / double LP sets sold exclusively throughRough Trade record shops. The set sold out online five days after being announced but limited quantities were made available in store in London and Brooklyn. Each format is limited to 1000 copies each, making it one of the rarest physical releases of Björk's recent career. The CD was released on 13 November 2015 with the picture disc vinyls released a week later.[91] On 7 December 2015,Vulnicura was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.[92] On 15 July 2016, a standard "commercial" edition ofVulnicura Live was released, featuring the same performances but newly mixed and with different artwork. A luxury version ofVulnicura Live was released on 23 September.[93] The performance of "Come to Me" from the album was also included in the box set7-inches forPlanned Parenthood in support of the women's health organization.[94][95]
Björk launchedBjörk Digital in June 2016, a virtual reality exhibit showcasing all the VR videos completed forVulnicura thus far, including the world premiere of "Notget", directed by Warren du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones, atCarriageworks for Vivid Sydney 2016 in Sydney, Australia. She DJ'd the opening night party[96] and did the same when the show traveled to Tokyo, Japan on 29 June,[97] showing at Miraikan. During the Miraikan residency, Björk made history by featuring in the world's first ever virtual reality live stream broadcast on YouTube. She gave a live performance ofVulnicura's final song "Quicksand", and the footage was incorporated into the "Quicksand" VR experience.Björk Digital has travelled the world with stops in London, Montreal, Houston, Los Angeles and Barcelona.
On 2 August 2017, Björk announced with a handwritten note on her social media the imminent release of a new album. The announcement coincided with an interview forDazed's autumn 2017 cover issue in which Björk talked about the new album.[98][99] The lead single, "The Gate", was released on 15 September 2017.[100] Its video was directed byAndrew Thomas Huang.[101] The same day of the single's release, Björk announced the album title,Utopia, during an interview withNowness.[102]
Utopia was released on 24 November 2017.[103] She described it as her "Tinder album" and stated that "it's about that search (for utopia) – and about being in love. Spending time with a person you enjoy is when the dream becomes real."[104][105] Björk added that her previous album was "hell" – it was like divorce!", stating, "So we [were] doing paradise [...] We have done hell, we have earned some points."[106][107] She produced the album withArca, whom she collaborated with onVulnicura. Björk has described her collaborative journey with Arca as "the strongest musical relationship [she's] had", likening it to that ofJoni Mitchell andJaco Pastorius during the albumsHejira andDon Juan's Reckless Daughter ("It's that synergy when two people lose their ego"), which have both been praised by Björk.[101] Three additional music videos were released in 2017: "Blissing Me", "Utopia" and "Arisen My Senses" with the former and latter also receiving limited edition remix EPs.[108][109][110]Utopia was nominated forBest Alternative Music Album at the61st Annual Grammy Awards, making Björk's fifteenth nomination at the Grammys.[111]
On 22 May 2018, Björk appeared as the headlining musical guest onLater... with Jools Holland, her first time on theBBC series since 2011.[112] She sang a set of four songs, including a flute rendition of "The Anchor Song" from 1993'sDebut before embarking on the briefUtopia tour, playing in several European music festivals during the summer.[113][114][115] On 12 November 2018, Björk announced a new concert production centered around herUtopia album, entitledCornucopia.[116][117] Cornucopia opened in May 2019 at the newly builtThe Shed in New York and was described as Björk's "most elaborate staged concert to date."[118][119] Theresidency show then traveled to Mexico and Europe for further dates in 2019.[120][121] Following the performances, Björk released music videos for "Tabula Rasa" and "Losss", both directed by Tobias Gremmler and used as backdrop during the shows.[122][123] On 16 August 2019, Björk announced theUtopia Bird Call Boxset, a box set meant to celebrate the end of the album cycle which 14 wooden flutes that imitate various bird calls and a USB stick featuring the digital albums, music videos and remixes, alongside an unreleased instrumental track, "Arpegggio".[124][125] On 6 September 2019, two remixes of "Features Creatures" were released as digital singles, one byFever Ray and the other bythe Knife. Both remixes, as well as Björk's own remix of Fever Ray's 2017 song, "This Country", were collected onCountry Creatures.[126]
On 27 September 2019, Björk made a surprise appearance duringMutant;Faith, Arca's performance-art piece at the Shed, to debut "Afterwards", a new collaboration which Björk performed in a combination of Spanish and gibberish.[127] The song is included on Arca's fourth studio album,KiCk i, which was released on 26 June 2020.[128] Björk then embarked on her eleventh concert tour, calledBjörk Orkestral, in which she performed orchestral arrangements of songs from her career.[129][130] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the tour was postponed several times before taking place from 2021 to 2023.[131]
In August 2020, Björk joined the cast ofThe Northman, the third feature film byRobert Eggers, co-written withSjón, alongside her daughter Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, in her debut film role.[132][133] It was released on 22 April 2022 in the United States.
In an interview withThe Mercury News published on 19 January 2022, Björk mentioned that she was wrapping up work on her upcoming tenth studio album.[134] She revealed in an interview withThe Guardian, published on 19 August 2022, that the new album is calledFossora, a Latin word for "digging".[135]Fossora was released on 30 September 2022. It was supported by four singles: "Atopos" on 6 September 2022, "Ovule" on 14 September, "Ancestress" on 22 September and the album's title track on 27 September. Also in September 2022 Björk ventured into podcasting, hostingBjörk: Sonic Symbolism which, according to a press release, features her "discussing the textures, timbres and emotional landscapes of each of her albums" with friends writerOddný Eir and musicologist Ásmundur Jónsson.[136]
Björk released the single "Oral", featuringRosalía with production fromSega Bodega, on 21 November 2023. A reworked demo written betweenHomogenic andVespertine, the song is intended to support the inhabitants ofSeyðisfjörður in the campaign against Norwegian-ownedfish farming operations that threaten to degrade local ecosystems. The proceeds from this song were donated to Aegis, an environmental organization Björk founded with other Icelandic activists to stop the intensive fish farming that is destroying the fjords.[137][138]
This sectionis missing information about Björk's lyrics. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(December 2018)
Björk's work isidiosyncratically collaborative, having worked with various producers, photographers, fashion designers and music video directors. She however believes that her male collaborators have received more credit than her, which Björk attributes to her being a female artist.[166]
Debut, released in 1993, has been credited as one of the first albums to introduce electronic music into mainstream pop.[173][174] Being a fan ofdance music since the early days ofacid house, Björk used dance music as the framework for her songs inDebut, stating in 1993 that it was the only "pop music that is truly modern" and "place where anything creative is happening today."[175] However, in aRolling Stone interview she also stated that she was more influenced by the sensual and groundbreakingambient music formerly found inChicago andDetroit.[176] The music ofDebut reflects the contemporarymusical environment of London, where Björk lived in the early1990s, especially the burgeoning trip-hop scene of bands likePortishead andMassive Attack.[177] Michael Cragg ofThe Guardian has described it as an "indefinable conflation ofelectronic pop, trip-hop,world music and otherworldly lyrics";[178] whileThe Face's Mandi James said it was "a delightful fusion ofthrash metal, jazz,funk andopera, with the odd dash ofexotica thrown in for good measure."[179]
The 1995 albumPost, known for its eclecticism,[180] is considered to be the "quintessential Björk" release, due to itsprotean form – more than any of her albums – and its "wide emotional palette".[181] The entirety of the album was written after Björk's move to England, and intended to reflect the faster pace of her new urban life.[182]The Guardian wrote that "Post tapped into the vortex ofmulticultural energy that was mid-90s London, where she had relocated and where strange hybrids such asjungle and trip-hop were bubbling."[183]Post built on thedance-pop blueprint ofDebut, but pushed its production andbeats to the fore, with influences from all over the world.[184] While the "distant echoes" ofIDM and trip-hop were present inDebut,Post is characterised by Björk's fuller incorporation of these styles.[174] Referred to as a "genre roulette" by theSan Francisco Chronicle,[185] it touches on various musical styles, includingindustrial music,[186]big-band jazz, trip-hop,chillout,[186] and experimental music.[187] The balance between synthetic and organic elements in the album – generated through the combination ofelectronic and"real" instruments – is a recurring characteristic in Björk's output.[188][189]
Mark Bell contributed to much of Björk's material, including his co-production ofHomogenic, until his death in 2014.
With her 1997 albumHomogenic, Björk intended to make a simple, one-flavoured record, in contrast with her previous releases.[190] Conceptually focused on her native Iceland,[190] the album is a "fusion of chilly strings (courtesy of the Icelandic String Octet), stuttering,abstract beats, and unique touches likeaccordion andglass harmonica".[191][192] Björk incorporated a traditional singing method used by Icelandic choir men, a combination of speaking and singing as illustrated in the song "Unravel".[193] WhileHomogenic still showed Björk's inclination towardselectronic dance-music andtechno-futurism, Neva Chonin ofRolling Stone reflected on how the album has steered away from the "sweet melodies and peppy dance collages of her earlier releases."[194]
On the 2001 albumVespertine, Björk continued with her idiosyncratic general meshing of organic and synthetic textures, once again via the combination of electronic sounds andstring arrangements.[195] However,Vespertine differed fromHomogenic in its greater interest in intimacy and sexuality (the result of her new relationship with artistMatthew Barney),[1][196][197] with sharper melodies,minimalistic production and explicit lyrics inspired by poetry ofE. E. Cummings andSarah Kane's playCrave.[195][198]Vespertine is also characterised by a newfound obsession with the auditory of analog technology, with a prevalent usage ofloops, static andwhite noise, paradoxically contrasting the advancement of digital technology occurring in the 21st century;[199] thus, elements of glitch music have been identified.[200][201] Unlike previous albums likeDebut andPost, electronic sounds has gained more prevalence, while the acoustic sounds are used as interjections.[199] Björk also stepped away from her signature shrieking singing style; her vocals often appear to be recorded close to the microphone and with little treatment, and sung in a sometimes "unstable whisper", conveying a sense of close proximity and reduced space suitable for the lyrics that have grown to be more intimate.[202]
Volta, released in 2007, received coverage after the inclusion ofR&B producerTimbaland; however,NME wrote that "this is not Björk 'going hip-hop' or having a late-breaking pop reinvention."[205] It has been said that the album achieves the perfect balance between her vibrant, poppier works in the '90s and her experiments in the2000s.[206] Björk wanted the album's beats to be "effortless, primitive,lo-fi style", in contrast withVespertine.[207] It combines a largebrass ensemble with live andprogrammeddrums and "ethnic instruments" likelikembé,pipa andkora.[207]Volta alternates between potent, joyful songs, and moodier, more contemplative tracks, "all of which are tied together by found-sound and brass-driven interludes that give the impression that the album was recorded in a harbor".[206]
Biophilia, of 2011, showcases Björk's more avant-garde tendencies, drawing comparisons toStockhausen andNico's 1969 album,The Marble Index.[145][208] The track "Moon" mesmerisingly encapsulates the comprehensive progress made across her previous works with metaphorical lyrics of natural phenomena and their impact on humans.[209]
The music inVulnicura, her 2015 album, is centered on Björk's voice,orchestral strings and electronic beats.[1][210] This combination was already present inHomogenic, certainly the consequence of the common topics treated by both albums: "heartbreak and perseverance".[1]
In 2017, Björk releasedUtopia, which harkened back to previous works such asVespertine andHomogenic, combining organic and electronic elements. It has been referred to as Björk'sflute album, akin to the heavy prevalence ofVespertine'sceleste,Volta's brass,Medúlla's voices andBiophilia's choir.[211]Arca and Björk closely collaborated in the album's production, and more consistently than her work with the lateMark Bell. The Venezuelan producer also takes a lead role in production.[212]
In September 2022, Björk premiered the podcastBjörk: Sonic Symbolism where she reviewed her sound experiences, accompanied by some of her collaborators in a conversation about the moods, timbers, and tempos through each of her ten albums.[213]
While Björk said that she was influenced by "everything",[214] she has citedStockhausen,Kraftwerk,Steve Reich,Brian Eno and Mark Bell as some of the people who influenced her the most.[215] Some "confessional singer-songwriters" Björk commends includeAbida Parveen,Chaka Khan,Joni Mitchell andKate Bush, with the last of whom being a definitive influence in her career.[166] Mitchell also inspired her to write her own songs, saying that Mitchell "created her own [female musical universe]", and found it "very liberating".[216] According toPulse: "a lot of Björk's early influences were books (Georges Bataille'sStory of the Eye,Mikhail Bulgakov'sThe Master and Margarita) and films (Tampopo,Star Wars,The Tin Drum) available internationally. [...] But talk about Iceland and you're getting to the heart of the matter, the source of her spirited outlook on life."[217]
During her formative years at music school, Björk became interested in avant-garde,classical, and minimalistic music;[145][218] also becoming a "jazz freak".[219] Although her music is more consistently tonal and has more crossover appeal, she is considered indebted to avant-garde composers Karlheinz Stockhausen, Meredith Monk,Sun Ra andPhilip Glass.[161][220] In a 2008 article forThe Guardian, Björk considered Stockhausen as the root of electronic music, writing "he sparked off a sun that is still burning and will glow for a long time".[221] Early in her career, Björk citedSir David Attenborough as her biggest musical influence, saying "she identified with his thirst for exploring new and wild territories".[222] In 1996, Björk showed her appreciation for expressionist composer Arnold Schoenberg, as she coveredPierrot Lunaire, originally from 1912.[223] She also stated that she "[likes] to discover sounds I had never heard before".[224]
Björk is asoprano, with arange spanning fromE3 toD6.[225][226][227][228] Her singing voice has been described as both "elastic" and "somersaulting" in quality as well as being praised for herscatting ability, unique vocal stylings and delivery.[229] In a review for her live performance at the 2011Manchester International Festival, Bernadette McNulty ofThe Daily Telegraph commented, "the 45-year-old still uses electronic dance beats with a full-bloodedraver's passion and the elementaltimbre of her voice has grown more powerful with age".[230]
In late 2012, it was reported that Björk had undergone surgery for apolyp on her vocal cords. Commenting on the success of the procedure after years of maintaining a strict diet and using vocal exercises to prevent vocal injury, she "stayed quiet for three weeks and then started singing and definitely feel like my cords are as good as pre-nodule".[231] However, in a review forBiophilia,Kitty Empire ofThe Guardian stated that pre-surgery Björk still sounded strong, commenting that her voice was "spectacular and swooping", particularly on the song "Thunderbolt".[232]
In a similar vein, Matthew Cole ofSlant Magazine adds that her voice has been "preserved quite well"; however also noting that her voice has become too hoarse and shouty, adding "it's only where her most dramatic vocal pyrotechnics are concerned that there's any question of physical ability".[233]NPR counted Björk among its list of "50 Great Voices" and MTV placed her at number 8 on its countdown "22 Greatest Voices in Music". She has been ranked 60th as one of the 100 greatest singers ever, and 81st as one of the 100 greatest songwriters ever byRolling Stone, who praised her voice as being unique, fresh and extremely versatile, fitting and being influenced by a wide range of influences and genres.[234][235][236]
When formingthe Sugarcubes, Björk was briefly married to guitarist Þór Eldon. They had a son, Sindri Eldon Þórsson, born 8 June 1986, the same day that the band was formed.[29] They had divorced before the end of 1986, but continued to work together in the band.[265] Sindri has a child of his own, thereby making Björk a grandmother.[266]
Following the breakup of the Sugarcubes, Björk moved toLondon, where she was immediately offered a record deal. She became engaged to London-based DJGoldie,[267] but broke up with him in 1996.[268] She also had a brief relationship with musicianTricky in the 1990s.[269] During this period, she became involved with thetrip hop scene with which Goldie and Tricky were associated. Björk also began her work with fashion designerAlexander McQueen. As a result of her time spent in London, Björk developed acockney accent, evident in her interviews given in English at the time.[270]
In London, Björk grew tired of public life and the constant harassment from the paparazzi, in particular over a murder attempt by a stalker,Ricardo López, and her relationships with Tricky and Goldie. She moved to Spain after receiving an offer to stay there from Trevor Morais, her tour drummer, who had a residential studio atMarbella,Andalusia,[271] where she producedHomogenic (1997).
In February 1996, Björk arrived atBangkok International Airport with her nine-year-old son after along-haul flight. Reporters were present, despite Björk's early request that the press leave her and her son alone until a press conference. As Björk attempted to walk away from thepaparazzi, television reporter Julie Kaufman approached the boy and said, "Welcome to Bangkok!" In response, Björk lunged at Kaufman, knocking her to the ground and tossing her until security intervened. Björk later apologised to Kaufman, who declined to press charges.[272] Her record company later stated that Kaufman had been pestering Björk for four days before the incident.[273]
On 13 January 2008, Björk attacked a photographer who had photographed her arrival atAuckland International Airport for her scheduled performance at theBig Day Out festival.[274] Björk allegedly tore the photographer's shirt down the back, and in the process she fell to the ground.[275] Neither the photographer nor his employer,The New Zealand Herald, lodged a formal complaint, and Auckland police did not investigate further.[276]
On 12 September 1996,Ricardo López, an obsessed and mentally-ill American fan, mailed aletter bomb disguised as a book to Björk's London home, which was designed to spraysulphuric acid on her face to disfigure or kill her. He wanted to "punish" Björk for being in a relationship withGoldie. López then went back to his apartment, shaved his head, and painted his face and head red and green, and filmed his suicide in the final part of a video diary,[277] which later became public after being released to journalists, causing a media sensation that temporarily halted the sessions in makingHomogenic.[278][279][280] The device failed to reach Björk because López’s body, and his plans, were discovered before the package was delivered, and the device was defused byScotland Yard.[281]
In her few public comments on this event, Björk said she was "very distressed" by the incident,[282] and said, "I make music, but in other terms, you know, people shouldn't take me too literally and get involved in my personal life."[283] She sent a card and flowers to López's family.[284] She left for Spain, where she recorded the remainder of her third album,Homogenic, away from media attention.[285] She also hired security for her son, Sindri, who was escorted to school with a minder.[286] A year after López's death, Björk discussed the incident in an interview: "I was very upset that somebody had died. I couldn't sleep for a week. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare the fuck out of me that I could get hurt and, most of all, that my son could get hurt."[287] López's video diary including footage of his suicide circulated across certain internet forums in the following years and he subsequently became known in the press as "Björk's stalker".[288][289]
In the late 1990s, Björk lived in New York, where she met artistMatthew Barney in the art scene. The pair formed a relationship and started living together, moving toBrooklyn Heights in 2000.[290] Their daughter was born in 2002. Barney and Björk initially kept their work separate, but then collaborated on Barney's art filmDrawing Restraint 9, a long-term project released in 2005; Björk acted in the film and also contributed musical elements.[291] The couple broke up in 2013. At the time, she described the breakup as "the most painful thing" that she had ever experienced. The albumVulnicura, and in particular the track "Black Lake", were written about the breakup.[292] Björk began to reside half of each year in the US and the other half in two residences in Iceland with her daughter.[293][294]
Sexual harassment allegations against Lars von Trier
In October 2017, Björk, in the wake of dozens ofsexual abuse cases brought against film producerHarvey Weinstein, posted on herFacebook page that she had been sexually harassed by a Danish film director.[295] TheLos Angeles Times found evidence identifying him asLars von Trier.[296] Von Trier has rejected Björk's allegation that he sexually harassed her during the making of the filmDancer in the Dark, and said "That was not the case. But that we were definitely not friends, that's a fact", to Danish dailyJyllands-Posten in its online edition.[297][298]Peter Aalbæk Jensen, the producer ofDancer in the Dark, toldJyllands-Posten that "as far as I remember we [Lars von Trier and I] were the victims. That woman was stronger than both Lars von Trier and me and our company put together. She dictated everything and was about to close a movie of 100m kroner [$16m]".[298][299]
After von Trier's statement, Björk detailed her allegations on her Facebook page such as "wrap[ping] his arms around [her] for a long time in front of all crew or alone and stroked [her] sometimes for minutes against [her] wishes."[300] Once she began asking him to stop, "he exploded and broke a chair in front of everyone on set."[300] She also said that he whispered graphic sexual comments and threatened to climb to her room from his balcony, so she moved to a friend's room to escape.[300] She lastly claimed that von Trier "fabricated stories in the press about [her] being difficult by his producer."[300]
Björk's manager, Derek Birkett, has spoken in support of her representation of von Trier's actions, saying that this "[was] the one and only time she has fallen out with a collaborator."[301]
The Guardian later found that Jensen's studio, Zentropa, with which von Trier frequently collaborated, had an endemic culture of sexual harassment. Jensen stepped down from CEO position of Zentropa as further harassment allegations came to light in 2017.[302]
Björk has been open about her bisexuality. In a 2004 interview withDiva she said that she's “always had as many powerful, creative ladies in my life as I have men, and you could probably describe some of those relationships as romantic. I think everyone’s bisexual to some degree or another; it’s just a question of whether you choose to recognise it and embrace it."[303]
After thetsunami that struckSoutheast Asia in late 2004, Björk began work on a new project titledArmy of Me: Remixes and Covers to help raise money for a relief fund. This project recruited fans and musicians from around the world to either cover or remix the 1995 track "Army of Me". From over 600 responses, Björk and her co-writer Graham Massey picked the best 20 versions to appear on the album. The album was released in April in the UK and in late May 2005 in the US. By January 2006, the album had raised about £250,000 to helpUNICEF's work in the southeast Asian region.[304] Björk visitedBanda Aceh in February 2006 to view some of UNICEF's work with the children who were affected by the tsunami.[305]
She dedicated her song "Declare Independence" toGreenland and theFaroe Islands, which caused a minor controversy in the Faroes. After Björk twice dedicated "Declare Independence" to the people ofKosovo during a concert in Japan,[311] her upcoming performance atSerbia'sExit Festival was cancelled, reportedly for safety concerns.
In October 2025, Björk used her social media platforms to condemn Israel's seizure of a humanitarian flotilla and to demand the "safe return" of her friend, Icelandic musicianMagga Stína, who she stated was "kidnapped" from the vesselConscience in international waters.[317] Arguing that blocking food from civilians is illegal, she urged Iceland to pressure Israel and suspend business ties.[318][319]
Björk has also taken an interest in environmental issues in Iceland. In 2004, she took part in the Hætta concert in Reykjavík, organised in protest against the building ofAlcoaaluminium smelters in the country, which would make Iceland the biggest smelter in Europe.[320][321] She founded the organisation Náttúra, which aims to promote Icelandic nature and grassroots industries.[322] In October 2008, Björk wrote an article forThe Times about theIcelandic economy and provided her opinion on the proposed use of natural resources to rescue the country from debt.[323] In collaboration withAudur Capital, she set up a venture capital fund titled BJÖRK to support the creation of sustainable industries in Iceland.[324]
In 2008, Björk wrote theforeword to the English translation ofAndri Snær Magnason's bestseller book titledDreamland – A Self Help Manual For A Frightened Nation.[325] On 21 May 2010, Björk wrote an open letter inThe Reykjavík Grapevine calling on theIcelandic government to "do everything in its power to revoke the contracts withMagma Energy", the Canadian company that owns Icelandic geothermal companyHS Orka.[326][327]
In 2014, Björk helped to organise Stopp, Let's Protect the Park, an event organised to raise money and awareness for the preservation of Icelandic nature. This included a show atHarpa Concert Hall, at which she performed three songs. The concert initially raised $310,000[328] and went on to raise £3 million overall, with plans to use the money to establish a national park.[329]
Over her extensive career, Björk has frequently used her position and influence to help launch new acts ormentor them as they establish themselves as recording artists.
The first example was the Iranian-bornelectronica producerLeila Arab, who was initially recruited to playkeyboards and provide backing vocals on Björk's first international solotour in 1993 in support ofDebut. In 1995, Björk recalled Arab for her second touring band for tour in support ofPost. This time, Arab was given her first opportunity to experiment with live output mixing from the stage rather than playing keyboards. This would later form the basis of Arab's own solo music career, in which she has integrated live mixing into her own compositions and live shows. Arab went on to release three international solo albums throughout the 1990s and appears on the influentialelectronica labelsRephlex Records,XL Recordings andWarp Records.[331]
In 1998, Björk established her own short-lived record label, Ear Records, which operated under theOne Little Indian Records umbrella. Her only signee that received a release was her longtime friend Magga Stína, who recorded her debut solo album under the production of Björk's longtime collaboratorGraham Massey (of the British electronica act808 State). The album was simply titledAn Album and featured just one single release, "Naturally". In 1998, Björk invited Magga to perform as her support act on the Homogenic tour, and in 2004 Magga contributed to the production ofMedúlla. Magga still performs and records in Iceland.
In 2001, Björk became aware of CanadianInuk throat singerTanya Tagaq and invited her to perform on several dates of Björk'sVespertine world tour as a special guest. In 2004, Tagaq was invited to collaborate on thea cappella albumMedúlla, in which the duet "Ancestors" was recorded. "Ancestors" was later featured on Tagaq's first solo album,Sinaa, in 2005.
In 2004, Arab discovered the work of Finnish multimedia artist Heidi Kilpeläinen, who had taken her combination oflo-fi, homemadeelectro pop with her own self-producedmusic videos and combined them under thealter ego characterHK119. Leila soon referred HK119's work to Björk, who started mentioning HK119 in various press and interviews. In 2004, Arab announced HK119 as her favourite act of 2004. HK119 was soon signed to Björk's parent label One Little Indian Records, which released herdebut album in 2006. HK119 and Björk appeared in a joint interview inDazed & Confused magazine in 2006, in which Björk stated about HK119's work: "It's unique. Even if I gave you $3 million, you couldn't improve on it... [Its] simplicity is [its] strength."[332] HK119 later released her albumsFast, Cheap and Out of Control in 2008 andImaginature in 2013, both on One Little Indian Records.
In 2009, Björk used her website and various radio interviews to promote two more new acts. The first was fellow Icelandic musicianÓlöf Arnalds, who is also a member of the Icelandicfolktronica bandmúm. In 2006, Arnalds released her debut solo albumVið Og Við in Iceland. Björk mentioned Arnalds among her favourite recent new acts during a radio interview, and encouraged One Little Indian Records to reissue the album in the UK and Europe in 2009. Björk also praised the works of English artistMicachu and Syrian vocalistOmar Souleyman. She later used her website to host the premiere of Micachu's debut video forRough Trade Records, "Turn Me Well".[333]
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^Fricke, David (11 October 2011)."Björk – Biophilia".Album review. Rolling Stone Magazine.Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved11 October 2011.
^Hermes, Will (23 January 2015)."Vulnicura Album Review".Rolling Stone. Wenner Publishing.Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved6 March 2016.
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