Björk drops new album ‘Vulnicura’ on iTunes without warning
By Nick Bond
Iceland’s finest, Björk, ‘Beyonced’ her new album onto iTunes worldwide last night, in response to a leak of the new material some two months before its intended release date.
Björk’s the latest singer to swing into action with a rush-release after an early leak of her new material, following Madonna’s December leak of 30-odd songs from her upcoming Rebel Heart album sessions.
Madge responded to her leak with allusions towards ‘artistic rape’ and ‘musical terrorism’, but Björk seems to have handled the news better, telling fans on her Facebook page: “i am so grateful you are still interested in my work !! i appreciate every little bit !”
And what of the album itself, titled Vulnicura? Well, from the striking cover art (above – that’s Björk looking all dominatrix-meets-flower child, with her heart ripped out of her chest) to the nine tracks themselves, many are hailing it as a return to form for the singer-songwriter, whose more recent efforts haven’t enjoyed the success of her ’90s halcyon days.
Make no mistake fans, this is a break-up album to rival Adele’s 21. Songs like History of Touches and Family rake over Bjork’s split with longtime partner, performance artist Matthew Barney, in eviscerating detail. Just take these lyrics, from Black Lake:
“Our love was my womb
But our bond has broken
I did it for love, honoured my feelings
You betrayed your own heart
Corrupted that organ
Family was always our sacred mutual mission
Which you abandoned.”
Ouch. Basically, Bjork’s just released 2015’s first perfect ‘eat an entire tub of ice cream while stalking your ex on Instagram and making little high-pitched sniffling noises’ album.
Just in case the subject matter wasn’t clear, she’s even supplied helpful annotations in the album’s liner notes: songs detailing the deteriorating state of the relationship and Bjork’s ensuing heartbreak are given tags like ‘two months before’ and ‘six months after’.
If the David Attenborough-meets-Steve Jobs excursions of 2011’s Biophilia felt a little too studied for you, we’d suggest giving Vulnicura a listen: it’s Bjork back to her visceral, heart-on-sleeve best.
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