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Björk - A blur of musical madness and majestry
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Beautiful, Beautiful Björk
Magnetic. Majestic. Mythical. Brilliant. Breathtaking. Words that don't begin to touch on the magnificence that is Björk.
Born on November 21, 1965 and raised in Rykajavik, Iceland, Björk's professional musical career began at the tender age of eleven when one of her classical piano instructors sent a recording of her to the only radio station in her native country. A representative of the record label Falkinn heard it and contacted Björk to offer a record contract. Her first album, the self-titled Björk was recorded and released in 1977.
In her teens, Björk was influenced by punk rock, and at the age of 14 formed an all-girl punk band shortly followed by a jazz fusion group. In 1980, she graduated from music school, and one year later formed another band called Jam-80, which later became Tappi Tikarrass (which in Icelandic means "Cork the Bitch’s Arse") and released an 
extended single. Their next album, Miranda was released in 1983.
After playing with various musicians, Björk landed with the group that would become The Sugarcubes. Her quirky, avante-garde pop rock vocals put the band on the map, and set them on a path towards international fame. Her many musical honors include being nominated for 13 Grammy Awards. Here they are performing my all-time favorite Sugarcubes song, Birthday. What Björk manages to do with her vocals is beyond anything I, as a singer, can fathom.
Throughout her career, Björk has often found herself in the center of controversy. The video for her song “Pagan Poetry,” features graphic piercings and Björk's exposed nipples, as well as distorted images of sexual acts. As a result, the clip was initially rarely shown by MTV. In 2002, the clip finally enjoyed unedited American airing as part of a late night special on MTV2 entitled "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 the singer in a cocoon.
Regarding sexuality, in an interview with Diva magazine in October 2004, she said:
I think everyone's bisexual to some degree or another; it's just a question of whether or not you choose to recognize it and embrace it. Personally, I think choosing between men and women is like choosing between cake and ice cream. You'd be daft not to try both when there are so many different flavours.
As far as the songwriting process is concerned, Björk commented on using her memory as an editor and gathering lyrical thoughts in diaries:
Take us behind the songwriting process: what comes first?
The melody, always. It’s all about singing the melodies live in my head. They go in circles. I guess I’m quite conservative and romantic about the power of melodies. I try not to record them on my Dictaphone when I first hear them. If I forget all about it and it pops up later on, then I know it’s good enough. I let my subconscious do the editing for me.
When do you start writing lyrics?
Well, my writing really differs. Sometimes a song is about a particular emotion, so I sit down and gather all my thoughts. Sometimes I have to write lots of thoughts down in a diary and edit them until I have the right words. Sometimes the words will come in one go.
Do you ever get writer’s block?
Well, I do have a poet friend called Sjón who helps me sometimes. Usually I have one song that is the manifesto for the album—on Post it was Isobel, on Volta it’s Wanderlust. When I write these songs I usually fill two or three diaries with words. Sjón will then help me narrow it down to two verses and a chorus. In my head I know what these songs are about and I can write books of words on them, but I can’t put them into a song, so Sjón helps me.
Here is Björk in a video for her song, Pagan Poetry. This was recorded live in New York City at the Riverside Church. Her extreme artistry and mind-bending musical genius is as blatant here as a dark bird lying in a white blanket of snow. Watching her perform is like watching flames burn, spark, go dark, and then rise again. It's a powerful mix of frightening, soft, sexy, mesmerizing, and delicious.
And here she is in an interview with Charlie Rose. It’s fascinating to see the distinction in her demeanor between sitting at an interview table and discussing her process versus performing her music. It is clear that when reveling in her expansive art, Björk becomes fully alive.
Here is a link to her most recent release.If you haven't yet discovered Björk, it's not too late. She is a visionary artist who is constantly evolving. She is a blur of musical madness and majestry.
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