Let's talk about Björk Guðmundsdóttir.
She's not your typical pop star, and yet, you know who she is..... and not just because she wore a swan dress to the Oscars.
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| No joke, this dress has its own Wikipedia page. Photo credit: Cristiano del Riccio |
She got her start at the age of 11, as a children's artist, and then started and joined a bunch of bands in her native Iceland. Eventually, she joined a supergroup called Sykurmolarnir, which in English translates to The Sugarcubes. That band released three albums to worldwide acclaim before breaking up... partly because their record label - Smekkleysa, or Bad Taste in English - was taking a lot of time (and still does - the band members still run it today) and mostly because Björk was a hot commodity and in demand for a solo career.
Her adult solo debut, called Debut, was an international smash hit. This song, which was very much in the style of house music, was a huge club hit and a minor pop hit, her first to hit the US Billboard Hot 100. Co-written by Björk and producer Nellie Hooper, it is a song not necessarily about sexuality but about bravery.
Björk was - is - known for her unusual voice and ability to incorporate primal scream into her performance. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the live performance of this song, which is of course a staple of her performances.
I wanted to share this rare performance with Talvin Singh (he's the guy on the Indian drums 0and a well-knwon virtuoso on them) & Guy Sigsworth. which is a lot more stripped down and quieter. Björk's childlike raspiness really shines through here.
The version she did for MTV Unglugged was different still - with more Indian-influenced instuments and less of the synthesizers that were the hallmark of the original.
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