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Björk

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Björk

Björk

If Billie Holiday is an American treasure, well, if you were to put that treasure underwater, froze it, thawed it out centuries into the future and doused some acid & baking soda on it, out of that treasure chest would come Björk. Originally gaining fame in her home of Iceland with her band, the Sugarcubes, Björk was bound to break solo & she did just that with 1993's Debut. Following that was 1995's Post, 97's Homogenic, 2001's Vespertine, 2004's Medúlla, 2007's Volta, 2011's Biophilia (the first album where I was truly a fan), 2015's Vulnicura and 2017's Utopia. There's a lot to unpack there... you can't skip her first three or four albums, they're all amazing. I like Volta just because it seems to be the loosest (and most fun) album she has. Vulnicura was her break up album, with Björk expressing that the album reflects her feelings before and after her breakup and the healing process. Her legacy can be felt today with the likes of Grimes & FKA twigs. There are a lot of artists who would not be where they are if Björk hadn't broken down the path. She's a true trail-blazer. And she gave us this moment. Björk is like a butterfly who returns to the cacoon to try on different colors. Never one to stay in one area of music for too long. Björk  first came on my radar with her song "Unravel" which opens up The Flaming Lips' addition to the Late Night Tales compilation series (a label that asks artists to create a mix CD basically of their favorite "late night" songs, songs to listen to late at night, from their record collection [if you haven't checked out Late Night Tales do so A.S.A.P.]). "Unravel" shook me to my core: I had never heard a voice like that & still haven't. I go down the Björk rabbit-hole every now and then, meaning I go through her albums from start to finish or just watch a live concert of her's: Every time I do that I come back with my artistic itch fullfilled & feel like I've somehow done my brain, not just my ears, but rather my WHOLE being a favor. Björk connects on every level. Call me a dork, but I love...

Björk

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