Björk Unravelled

Remixes are an integral part of Björk's discography. Think about it: she has multiple remix albums — including Telegram (which remixes Post), Voltaic: The Volta Mixes, and Bastards (which remixes Biophilia).

And that’s because Björk intentionally writes songs that can evolve over time. 

So in the final episode of this season, I’ll count down my top 10 Björk remixes and why.

(Please listen to the end for a note about future episodes.)

In 2022 Björk released her 10th studio album. Considering how many artists have stopped after five or fewer, it’s a big accomplishment. But it’s even more significant when you consider how experimental Björk's records have been, especially after Homogenic. 

So how has Björk managed to make it as an artist even though she’s pretty “uncommercial”? How has she continued to create on a global scale — without compromising her bold artistic vision?

In this episode I’ll share three reasons: her choice of record label, her early relationship with Nellee Hooper, and her DIY attitude.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a monthly donation on Anchor or a one-time donation on PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ). Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

En una entrevista en 2016 con Another Magazine, Bjork dijo: “...alguien hizo una encuesta online sobre dónde estaban mis fans... ¡y aparentemente mi típico fan es un chico gay mexicano de 20 años! ¡Me sentí muy orgullosa!”

En otro episodio hablé con fans de Bjork sobre porqué su música resuena en la comunidad LGBTQ+. Si aún no has escuchado ese episodio, hazlo. Se llama "LGBTQ + Bjork".

Pero desde mi investigación para ese episodio, me he preguntado sobre la otra parte de esta cita: ¿por qué el fan típico de Bjork es un chico gay mexicano?

Así que, en este episodio, hablaré con fans de Bjork de México sobre por qué su música resuena allí. Y juntos encontraremos tres razones posibles.

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Bjork's shrieks, rasps, and growls… are what make her voice her own. But they also have consequences on her long-term vocal health.

Here I’ll talk about the advantages and consequences of Bjork’s unique singing style. A listener and fellow Bjork fan named Simon Mejia helped me with this episode, and we’ll each talk about how Bjork’s voice has evolved, why it’s changed, and how we as fans can embrace those changes. 

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a monthly donation on Anchor or a one-time donation on PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ). Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

This is part 2 of my track-by-track review of Bjork's new album Fossora.

In this episode I’ll cover “Fagurt Er I Fjordum” through “Her Mother’s House” and I’ll share my overall impression of the album — including where it ranks in Bjork’s discography for me.

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On September 30th, Bjork released Fossora — her 10th studio album. In contrast to the airy sounds of Utopia, Fossora features heavy bass clarinets and deals with different subject material — including the death of Bjork's mother. 

This is part one of a two-part, track-by-track analysis of Fossora. In this episode, I’ll talk about the first five songs: “Atopos” through “Ancestress" and unpack the themes and images that make this Bjork's "mushroom album."

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It seems like everyone is dropping a Björk podcast these days. But I, like Björk, have been underground, quietly working on new material. 

Season 3 of Björk Unravelled will premiere this fall.

Stage designer Chiara Stephenson talks about how she brought Björk's sci-fi, utopian world to life in Cornucopia. She’ll discuss the natural forms that influenced the stage design, the intention behind the veils used in the show, and why working with Björk inspired Chiara to trust her instincts.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

Lighting designer Bruno Poet joins me to talk about how he used light to compliment the music of Cornucopia, why he thinks artists love collaborating with Björk, and why “Sue Me”... was all yellow.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

Margrét Bjarnadóttir — choreographer of the "Utopia" music video, Utopia tour, and Cornucopia tour — discusses how her work on "Utopia" laid the foundation for the Cornucopia tour. She walks us through how she developed the choreography (without compromising the flutists’ ability to play or breathe) and how these movements compliment the music.

Plus, she’ll explain why she thinks Björk is the consummate collaborator.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

Sound architect Shane Myrbeck reveals the true purpose of the reverb chamber in Cornucopia and walks us through the design process. He talks about the buildings that inspired it, what it was like to collaborate with Björk, and how at one point they even considered making the chamber… a dress.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

Björk's Cornucopia was never an ordinary tour; it's a theatrical production.

And in this episode, I’ll share that production with you. I’ll start with the history of the tour, describe the magical audiovisual journey Björk takes you on, and conclude with a conversation with Alexander Lloyd Blake — the director of Tonality (@ourtonality), the choir that performed with Björk for these California shows.

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Björk is a woman of mystery. She gives her fans just enough to satisfy them — and withholds just enough to keep them guessing.

Some of these rumors have been resolved with time, but there’s still a long list of unreleased projects we haven’t gotten closure on.

Superfan Gabriel Lucas and I will discuss five of those projects that we never got to hear. We’ll talk about the glimpses of each that give us an idea of what they may have sounded like. And we’ll conclude with the biggest mystery of all: Björk's next album.

Gabriel's list of unreleased projects: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p1lPvdVLOd-9z02m-YyTF0CYdgHQxNcB0Dil1KNaD-U/edit?usp=sharing

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There’s this quote from Björk that has become sort of a meme among her fans. She says that her average listener is a gay man from Mexico. And whether or not that’s accurate, it definitely captures a larger truth: For many, Björk is a queer icon. But why? 

Björk fan Ahmed Abuzaid (who suggested this topic) and I will discover the answer. I interviewed about a dozen Björk Unravelled listeners. You’ll hear, in their own words, why they identify with her music. And by the end of it, you’ll understand how Björk's music helps them, and other LGBTQ+ fans, feel safe… and feel seen.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

Part of the magic of seeing Björk perform live comes from wondering how she’ll reinvent her songs on this tour, on this night. Björk seems to know this herself because she’s released a live record for nearly every studio album.

Superfan Chris Rodamado (@chrisrodamado) and I will talk about ten songs that hit different in-person. We’ll hear picks from six listeners, and then Chris will add four picks of his own. By the end of it, you’ll understand why you haven’t lived as a Björk fan until you’ve seen her live.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

It’s difficult to believe that the artist who wrote Utopia… didn’t always identify as a feminist.

But everything changed when Björk gave birth to her daughter, Isadora.

Here I’ll explore Björk’s feminist journey through three generations of women. I’ll start with her mother’s feminist roots, examine Björk’s rebellion against those values, and conclude with her feminist awakening through Isadora.

And through it all, we’ll discover why Björk finally spoke up.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

For many fans, Björk Orkestral was a Greatest Hits tour 2.0

Bjork played fan favorites from all of her albums. And while some of us are still bummed she didn’t sing “All is Full of Love” or “Pneumonia,” she did deliver some spectacular performances and arrangements. 

These shows proved that Bjork is back… and still killing it.

Tony (from the Instagram page @bjork.live) and I will recap each Björk Orkestral show. We’ll share our general impressions and surprises, talk about how these versions compare to past tours, and we’ll discuss what these shows tell us about Björk's career.

Enjoying Björk Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar helps me make new episodes!

Para muchos fanáticos, Björk Orkestral fue una gira 2.0 de Greatest Hits.

Björk cantó los favoritos de todos sus álbumes. Y aunque algunos de nosotros todavía esperamos "All is Full of Love" o "Pneumonia", sí ofreció algunos arreglos espectaculares.

Estos programas demostraron que Björk está de regreso ... y aún reina.

Tony (del pagina de Instagram @bjork.live) y yo repasamos cada show de Björk Orkestral. Compartimos nuestras impresiones generales y sorpresas. Hablamos sobre cómo estas versiones se comparan con giras pasadas y lo que estos programas nos dicen sobre la carrera de Björk.

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I’ve been making this podcast for over a year now, and I’ve been a fan of Björk for much longer than that. But there was one aspect of her music I hadn’t experienced… I’d never seen her live.

Then on a Sunday morning in early October, I got a message from a listener named Jose... that changed everything.

In this episode, I’ll share my pilgrimage to Reykjavik for the second Björk Orkestral show. I’ll describe the places from Björk's life and career that I visited, how these places helped me to better understand and appreciate her music… And, most importantly, I’ll give you a full recap of her performance with the Hamrahlið Choir at Harpa. I even got to interview a few members of the choir, so be sure to listen to the end to hear what it’s like to perform with Björk.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me make new episodes!

Björk elevated the music video to an art form. She was experimenting with AR filters before Instagram. She was making robots fall in love before Westworld. And as I mentioned in the last episode, one of her music videos was specifically commissioned by a modern art museum. 

Isobel (creator of the Björk fan page @mynameisobelpage) and I will talk about ten videos you should watch — or rewatch — and why.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

While other girls worshipped heart-throbs like David Cassidy or Scott Baio, Björk idolized scientists like Albert Einstein and David Attenborough.

Here I'll explore the scientific mind of Björk by taking a deeper dive into Biophilia. I’ll discuss the documentary she made about it with Attenborough. And I’ll share how that documentary changed my perspective on Biophilia.

Because I was wrong. Very wrong.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

Björk's album covers are almost as important as the music. Each one features a character that tells the story of the album; to understand that character is to understand the mood and theme of the songs inside.

Saša Milic, who runs a popular Facebook page called Björk Songs as Tarot Cards, joins me to examine Bjork’s album covers one by one. We’ll decipher the album’s archetype, color palette, and fashion to learn what each cover tells us about the music itself. And Saša will make a few connections to tarot cards along the way.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

Björk didn’t want to be seen as a political figure. For her, the music mattered most, and it existed in a sphere beyond the day-to-day squabbles of politics. But there is one issue that activates her: climate change.

Here I’ll trace Björk's progression as a climate activist — from reluctant protester to national leader. And I’ll examine the impact this activism has had on her music and the world.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

If you didn’t know who Björk was before this podcast, there was probably one thing you did know about her: her swan dress.

And while that dress does capture the audacity of Björk's style, it also obscures the sheer variety of her looks.

That’s something that Federico Protto brings to light through his Instagram. He runs a Björk fashion archive project called @techno_prayer on Instagram. He's also an accomplished designer who helped design a dress for Björk.

Here we'll talk about five looks from the Bjork fashion archives. Federico will explain what they look like, who designed them, and why they matter. 

And don’t worry… we will address the swan in the room.

Here's a link to the looks we're discussing so you can follow along: https://www.savannahwright.net/bjork-fashion-archive

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

I can’t do a comprehensive podcast about Björk without tracing her musical forefathers — or in this case foremothers. 

Here I'll focus specifically on Kate Bush’s influence on Björk. I’ll draw connections between their careers and their music to better understand Björk's place in the family of musical greats. And through it all, I’ll explain how Bush paved the way for Björk's success in the UK.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

Before Debut, before The Sugarcubes… Björk was actually a punk rocker.

Here I’ll look back at Björk's punk roots. We’ll learn about the bands she played with, what those years taught her, and how that punk ethos still resonates — specifically in Medulla.

That’s right. I finally found a way into that record. Listen to the end to hear my full review.

That Tappi Tikarrass performance I mention in this episode: https://youtu.be/nkRCxq0Et5w

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

Whether you follow it or not, astrology is one of many lenses we can use to better understand Björk and her music. In this episode, I talk with astrologist and Björk fan Sachi the Scorpio to learn how Björk's birth chart informs her music — specifically in the song “Pluto” but also throughout her discography. 

This is a preview of the structure of season 2: "Björk+". Through the next season I'll examine her history and music through different lenses: feminism, conservationism, social activism, and more. Stick around for the end of the episode to hear when season 2 will drop.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

For this episode I teamed up with Elijah Flores. You may know him as @thebjorkcollector on Instagram. Elijah’s collection is comprehensive. He has purchased every Björk release since Debut and is familiar with even the most obscure parts of her career. So I wanted to bring him on the show to talk about some lesser known, or maybe just underrated songs in her discography.

He’ll share 10 of his picks here, and I’ll add a few of my own. We’ll start chronologically with her work in The Sugarcubes and conclude around the Medulla period.

If you want to listen to any of the songs in full, check out this YouTube playlist: https://tinyurl.com/45hp9jpz 

And here's a great Twitter thread if you want to discover even more obscure Björk tracks: https://tinyurl.com/cdvynw7f 

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

If you listened to the trailer of this series, then you know that I created Björk Unravelled to persuade my friend Carter to give Björk's music a chance. And — it worked!

In this episode, Carter and I will reflect on this season and hear how his mindset shifted along the way. How exactly did he go from being confused to enthusiastic? 

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

A recurring theme in Björk's music is the intersection of humanity and technology. 

In this episode I'll talk about how Björk’s music interacts with technology and science. I'll start with Biophilia and trace its evolution into the even more expansive Björk Digital exhibit — to show how she uses technology to transform the way we experience music.

Note: There was an error in the Biophilia segment. Bjork did not commission the creation of the sharpsichord, but she was one of the first to use it in a live performance.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

In an interview with Jefferson Hack in 2017, he asked Björk if her collaborative spirit stems from her punk rock origins. She said that it might, but she’s also found that the key to successful collaborations is taking care of your individual creative goals. Because once you feel secure about your own vision, you can feel open to another artist’s perspective. 

She described this idea as "1 + 1 = 3" — basically if both artists find common ground, they can create something greater than their two halves. 

So here I'll explore that equation through a few of my favorite collaborations Björk has done. Ones that I think will appeal to all kinds of listeners.

Note: There was an error in the serpentwithfeet segment. He did not open for Bjork's Cornucopia tour. Instead, he sang a duet with her for "Blissing Me."

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

Music production is still very much a boys’ club. In fact, a 2018 USC Annenberg study revealed that only 2 percent of music producers and 3 percent of audio engineers are women.

But if you think it’s tough now, imagine what it was like 20 or 30 years ago — when Björk was making music. Although she took a very active role in producing her records, she often didn't receive full credit for her work.

That’s why I want to spend some time with a record that shows Björk's painstaking attention to detail as a producer: Vespertine. My sister Natalie and I will examine it in detail to show why Björk isn’t just a talented vocalist or composer, but a pioneer in music production.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

Björk has a superpower that the best musicians do: she can create a character to tell a compelling musical story. 

One of Björk's characters is Selma, whom she played in the 2000 film Dancer in the Dark. She said that the soundtrack she created for the film was her gift to Selma.

Examining how these songs bring Selma to life demonstrates Björk’s brilliance as a storyteller — something that I think any film score fan or even country fan can appreciate. So in this episode I'll explore the rich interior world of Selmasongs.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

One of the most common complaints I hear about Björk’s music is her voice.

And these complaints aren’t unfounded. Sometimes she grinds her vocal cords together. Sometimes she wails. And yes, sometimes she shrieks. 

But if you suspend your discomfort, you might realize how rich and true-to-life it is because it evokes the full sonic and emotional spectrum. 

Here I’ll explore how Björk’s vocals add texture and depth to her songs — specifically in her third studio album, Homogenic. I’ll discuss three songs from that album with my sister Marisa (who introduced me to Björk's work) to understand how her unusual vocals are integral to her music.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

In 2020, when artists like Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, and Lizzo try on musical styles like they do designer clothing, genre seems irrelevant. But that’s a pretty new development. In fact, back in the mid-90’s, when CD’s reigned supreme, genre was everything.

So when Björk released her first album, Debut — a record that sampled a different musical style in nearly every song — the music world took note. Her chameleon-like ability to adapt to any genre, and then make it her own, set Björk apart from other artists. So in this episode, I’ll talk about how Björk bends genre and why it matters.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

Who is Björk? A mysterious woman in a swan dress? An Icelandic weirdo? A musical genius?  

Does the pop culture version of Björk hold any truth — or is Björk is just playing us?

In this episode, we'll get to know the "real" Björk. I'll discuss her childhood, her early career, and yes, even that one time she attacked a reporter. I'll sort fact from fiction, discard the stereotypes, and reveal how Björk sees herself.

Enjoying Bjork Unravelled? Support the show with a one-time donation (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8RAFVQKASALSQ) or a monthly donation on Anchor. Every dollar will help me keep the show alive!

This is Björk Unravelled — a series that demystifies Björk’s music, one piece at a time. It’s the podcast that every Björk fan can share with their skeptic friends and say, “See? It’s not that weird.” The one I wish I had when I recommended Björk to my friends.

In each episode, I’ll pick apart a different facet of her work: from her signature vocals, to her genre bending instrumentation — and beyond. And through it all, you’ll realize that her music isn’t “unlistenable” or “esoteric.”

It’s for everyone.

New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find your podcasts.