Björk

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Björk

Background information
Birth name Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Born November 21, 1965 (age 41)
Origin Flag of Iceland Reykjavík, Iceland
Genre(s) Pop, Trip-Hop, Rock, Vocal Jazz, Ambient, Electronica, Dance, Alternative, Experimental
Occupation(s) Vocalist, Musician, Producer, Arranger, Programmer
Instrument(s) Vocals, Keyboards
Years active 1977 — present
Label(s) One Little Indian
Elektra
Polydor
Mother
Associated
acts		 The Sugarcubes, Tappi Tikarrass, KUKL, Snot and Spit, Exodus, PUKL, Jam80
Website bjork.com
Notable instrument(s)
Piano, Flute

Björk Guðmundsdóttir ([ˈpjœr̥k ˈkvʏðmʏnstoʊhtɪr] (help·info)) (born November 21, 1965 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic singer/songwriter and composer (formerly the lead singer of alternative rock band The Sugarcubes), as well as an occasional actress. She is best known for her expressive range and an interest in many kinds of music including pop, alternative rock, jazz, ambient music, electronica, folk, and classical music. She has won numerous awards including receiving 12 Grammys and an Academy Award Nomination. Her record label, One Little Indian, reported in 2003 that she has sold over 15 million albums worldwide.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early career

Audio samples of Björk

Björk's musical career began when she was 11, studying classical piano in elementary school. One of her instructors sent a recording of Björk singing Tina Charles' song "I Love to Love" to RÚV, then the only radio station in Iceland. The recording was broadcast on radio nationally; after hearing it, a representative of the record label Fálkinn contacted Björk with a record contract offer. She recorded her eponymous debut in 1977, with the help of her stepfather, who played guitar. This album featured several Icelandic children's songs and covers of popular songs such as the Beatles' "The Fool on the Hill", sung in Icelandic. The album went platinum in Iceland, and is now a highly sought-after collectors item.

Björk was influenced by punk rock in her teens; at 14, she formed the all-girl punk band Spit and Snot, shortly followed by a jazz fusion group called Exodus in 1979. In 1980 she graduated from music school. In 1981, she and bassist Jakob Magnússon formed another band called Jam-80, which became Tappi Tíkarrass (which means "Cork the Bitch’s Arse" in Icelandic), and released an extended single, "Bítið Fast í Vítið" in the same year. Their album Miranda was released in 1983.

Björk next collaborated with Einar Örn Benediktsson and Einar Melax from Purrkur Pillnikk, and Guðlaugur Óttarsson, Sigtryggur Baldursson and Birgir Mogensen from Þeyr. After writing songs and rehearsing for two weeks, they (under the name KUKL which means "sorcery" in Icelandic) found they worked well together, and decided to continue, developing a sound that some have described as resembling Gothic rock. Björk began to show indications of what would become her trademark singing style, punctuated with howls and shrieks.

KUKL toured Iceland with anarchist UK punk band Crass, and later visited the UK in a series of performances with Flux of Pink Indians. The band produced two albums as a result of these collaborations: The Eye in 1984, and Holidays in Europe in 1986, both on Crass Records.

The band was eventually dissolved, in part due to the closure of Gramm, their label. In the summer of 1986, several members of KUKL and the surrealist group Medusa got together to create the arts collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste). They created a musical division, a band called KUKL but soon changed the name to The Sugarcubes. Smekkleysa and the Sugarcubes were officially started on the same day as the birth of Björk's son, Sindri.

[edit] Mainstream success

[edit] The Sugarcubes

The Sugarcubes' first single, "Ammæli" (or "Birthday" in English), became a surprise hit in the UK after Melody Maker declared it single of the week. The Sugarcubes were immediately signed up by One Little Indian, the new bedroom label set up by Derek Birkett, the former bass player of Flux of Pink Indians. They gained a significant cult following in the US and UK, and calls from larger record companies began coming in. They rejected all these offers, choosing complete creative control over vast sums of money and sticking with their friend Birkett. Even today, Björk remains on the label. The Sugarcubes also signed a distribution deal with Elektra Records in the United States, and recorded their first album, Life's Too Good, in 1988. The album propelled them into international stardom — the first Icelandic rock band to achieve such popularity. While with the Sugarcubes, Björk participated in a number of side projects. She recorded Gling-Gló, a collection of popular jazz and original work, with the jazz group Trio Guðmundar Ingólfssonar (an octogenarian jazz group), released in Iceland. Björk also contributed vocals to 808 State's album Ex:el, a collaboration which cultivated her interest in house music. The song "Ooops" was released as a single in the UK and was later included on 808 State's best of, "808:88:98".

[edit] Solo career/Debut

Album cover of Debut (1993).
Album cover of Debut (1993).

In 1992 The Sugarcubes dissolved as different members of the band had realised they all had different ambitions; Instead of risking their friendship, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. They remain friends to this day and are all still involved in the management of Smekkleysa/Bad Taste. Björk moved to London and began thinking about a solo career; to this end, she began working with producer Nellee Hooper, who had produced for Massive Attack, among others. Their partnership produced Björk's first international solo hit, "Human Behaviour". Her solo debut album, Debut, was released in June 1993 to positive reviews; it was named album of the year by NME, and eventually went platinum in the United States. At the 1994 Brit Awards Björk won the awards for Best International Female and Best International newcomer. [1] Debut was a mix of songs Björk had written since she was a teenager as well as newer lyrical collaborations with Hooper.

The success of Debut enabled her to collaborate with other artists on one-off tracks. She worked with David Arnold on "Play Dead", the theme to the 1993 film The Young Americans (which appeared as a bonus track on a re-release of Debut), collaborated on two songs for Tricky's Nearly God project, appeared on a track on the 1997 album Not For Threes by Plaid, which was released on the cult Warp Records label, and wrote the song "Bedtime Story" for Madonna's 1994 album Bedtime Stories.

[edit] Post/Telegram

Album cover of Post (1995).
Album cover of Post (1995).

Björk returned to the studio during 1994 to work on her next solo album with Nellee Hooper, Tricky, Graham Massey of 808 State, and electronic music producer Howie B. The album, Post, contained songs based on Björk's relationships and songs about love (one of her favorite subjects), as well as some angry and confrontational material. Like "Debut", it was a collection partly made up of songs she had written in past years.

She performed on MTV Unplugged during this time. By 1995, the new album Post was ready; it was released in June, reaching number two on the UK's album charts, and also went platinum in the United States. The album was boosted further by the success of the single "It's Oh So Quiet", a surprise Christmas hit which sold 400 000 copies in the United Kingdom and spent 15 weeks on the chart. [2]After meeting Classical Director Kent Nagano in early 1996, they performed Schoenberg's " Pierrot Lunaire" at the Verbier Classical Festival (of the performance, which was bootlegged on MD, only two soundclips surfaced. The full recording was lost by bootlegger during a shifting). January 1997 saw the release of Telegram, an album of previously-released remixes of songs from Post and a non-LP song "My Spine".

[edit] Homogenic

Album cover of Homogenic (1997).
Album cover of Homogenic (1997).

Later that year, the album Homogenic was released. It marked a dramatic shift from her earlier "pixie" image cultivated on the Debut and Post albums. Björk worked with producers Mark Bell of LFO and Howie B on the album, as well as Eumir Deodato; numerous remixes followed. Homogenic was her first conceptually self-contained album and is regarded as one of Björk's most experimental and extroverted works to date, with enormous beats that reflect the landscape of Iceland, most notably in the song "Jóga", which fuses lush strings with rocky electronic crunches.

The emotionally-charged album contains a string of memorable music videos, several of which received airplay on MTV, especially the epic "Bachelorette" directed by frequent collaborator Michel Gondry and "All Is Full of Love", which was directed by Chris Cunningham and became an alt-rock hit in 1999. The single 'All is full of love' was also the first DVD single to ever be released in the USA which paved the way for other artists to include DVD video and other multimedia features with their singles.

The album eventually reached gold status in the States in 2001 and platinum in 2006. In 2000 Björk played the role of Selma, a blind factory worker in Lars Von Trier's Dancer in the Dark, and subsequently recorded the soundtrack, simply named "Selmasongs".

[edit] Vespertine

Album cover of Vespertine (2001).
Album cover of Vespertine (2001).

In 2001 the album Vespertine was released. This album saw Björk creating an introverted, internal, personal world of microbeats and tiny rhythms. The album featured chamber orchestras, choirs, very hushed vocals and personal, vulnerable themes. She collaborated with experimental sound manipulators Matmos, Denmark-based DJ Thomas Knak, and the experimental harpist Zeena Parkins for the album. Lyrical sources included the American poet E. E. Cummings, the American independent filmmaker Harmony Korine and English playwright Sarah Kane's penultimate play, 'Crave'. To coincide with the album's release, Björk released a coffee table book of loose prose and photographs titled Björk. [3] Björk embarked on a tour of theatres and opera-houses in Europe and North America in support of the album, accompanied by the musicians Matmos, Zeena Parkins and an Inuit choir, whom she had held auditions for on a trip to Greenland prior to the tour. [4] At the time Vespertine was Björk's quickest selling album ever, having sold 2 million copies by the end of 2001.[2]

Vespertine spawned three singles: "Hidden Place", "Pagan Poetry", and "Cocoon." America's then-more independent and artistic music video channel, MTV2, played the album's first video, "Hidden Place", pretty heavily, which was subsequently released as a DVD single. However, the next video, for "Pagan Poetry", brought Björk to an even higher level of controversy with the channel. The song's video features graphic piercings and Björk's exposed nipples, as well as distorted images of sexual acts, which included vaginal penetration and fellatio. As a result, the clip was initially rarely shown by MTV, and certain parts (for example, Björk's breasts) were censored out during the rare occasions when it was played. 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 herself in a cocoon. The video was directed by Japanese artist Eiko Ishioka, and was not aired by MTV.

[edit] Family Tree/Greatest Hits/Live Box

Album cover of Family Tree (2002).
Album cover of Family Tree (2002).

2002 saw the appearance of the CD box set Family Tree containing a retrospective of Björk's career, comprising many previously unreleased versions of her compositions, including her work with the Brodsky Quartet. Also released alongside Family Tree was the album Greatest Hits, a retrospective of the previous 10 years of her solo career as deemed by the public: the songs on the album were chosen by Björk's fans through a poll on her website. Both releases sold poorly. A DVD edition of the CD was also released; it contained all of Björk's solo music videos up to that point. The new single from the set, "It's In Our Hands", charted in the UK at #37. The video, directed by Spike Jonze, features a heavily pregnant Björk.

In 2003, Björk released a box set called Live Box, consisting of four CDs containing live recordings of her previous albums and a DVD featuring a video of one track from each CD. Each of the four CDs were later released separately at a reduced price.

[edit] Medúlla

Album cover of Medúlla (2004).
Album cover of Medúlla (2004).

2004 saw the release of Björk's Medúlla, in late August. Medúlla had been more of an impromptu piece of work after the two concept albums, but in the midst of production Björk decided the album would work best as an entirely vocal-based album. Produced by Mark Bell (also known as the electronic artist LFO) The majority of the sounds on the album are created by vocalists (although these sounds are often electronically distorted). Björk used the vocal skills of throat-singer Tagaq, hip hop beatboxer Rahzel, Japanese beatboxer Dokaka, avant-rocker Mike Patton, Soft Machine drummer/singer Robert Wyatt, and several choirs; she again appropriated text from poet E. E. Cummings for the song "Sonnets/Unrealities XI." Medúlla became her highest ever charting album in the US, debuting at number 14.

In August 2004 Björk performed the song "Oceania" (from her Medúlla album) at the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In typical Björk style, her performance was one of the more unusual ones of the event. As she sang, her dress slowly unravelled to reveal a 10,000 square foot (900 m²) map of the world, which she let flow over all of the Olympic athletes. The song "Oceania" was written especially for the occasion and features the vocals of Shlomo, a Leeds-based beatboxer, and a London choir. An alternate version of the song began circulating on the internet with additional vocals by Kelis. It originally appeared on the promotional "Oceania" single released to radio stations and later became available to the public as a b-side of the "Who Is It" single, which charted at number twenty-six in the UK. This was followed in early 2005 by "Triumph of a Heart", charting at number thirty-one. A video for the potential next single, "Where Is the Line?", was filmed in collaboration with the Icelandic artist Gabríela Fridriksdóttir in late 2004, and was released exclusively on the "Medúlla Videos" DVD.

Other than these few performances, no concerts or tours were arranged to promote Medúlla. Björk said in numerous interviews that this was because she wished to immediately continue writing and recording yet another new album. She spoke to Rolling Stone in June 2004: "Every album I've done, the minute that it's done, I feel really lubricated and, like, 'Wow, now I can write an album in five minutes'... And I just want to find out if that's just a fantasy or if it's true." [5]

[edit] Army of Mixes

Album cover of Army of Me: Remixes and Covers (2005).
Album cover of Army of Me: Remixes and Covers (2005).

After the disastrous tsunami which struck Southeast Asia in late 2004, Björk began work on a new project, Army of Mixes. This project recruited fans and musicians from around the world to either cover or remix the 1995 track, "Army of Me". From over 600 responses, Björk and her co-writer Graham Massey, picked the best twenty to appear on the album. The album was released in April in the UK and in late May 2005 the US. It peaked at number fourteen on the dance albums chart in the UK. [6] By January 2006, the album had raised around £250,000 to help UNICEF's work in the south east Asian region. [7] Björk visited Banda Aceh in February 2006 to view some of UNICEF's work with the children who were affected by the tsunami. [8]

[edit] Drawing Restraint 9

On July 25, 2005 in the UK and on August 23 in the U.S., Björk released the album The Music from Drawing Restraint 9. It is a soundtrack to her boyfriend Matthew Barney's movie of the same title; Björk explores traditional Japanese music styles to complement the experimental film, in which two lovers find themselves on a whaling ship and participate in a bizarre tea ceremony.

On July 2, 2005 Björk took part in the historic Live 8 series of concerts, headlining the Japan show with Do As Infinity, Good Charlotte and McFly. She performed eight songs with Matmos, a Japanese string octet and Zeena Parkins. [9]

[edit] (____surrounded):

Released June 27, 2006, Björk remastered in 5.1 surround sound her first three solo studio albums (Debut, Post, Homogenic) and her two soundtrack albums (Selmasongs and Drawing Restraint 9) in 5.1 surround sound for a re-issue in a new box-set titled ( surrounded):. Vespertine and Medúlla were already available in 5.1 as either DVD-A or SACD but are also included in the box set in repackaged format. The dual discs were also released separately. [10].

During this era, Björk earned another BRIT Awards nomination for Best International Female Solo Artist [11]. Also, signifying her status as one of pop music's true originals and one of the most daring, innovative, and idiosyncratic artists of the last two decades, Björk was awarded the prestigious Inspiration Award at the Annual Q Magazine Awards in October 2005, accepting the prize from Robert Wyatt, with whom she collaborated on 2004's Medúlla album.

Björk's former band The Sugarcubes reunited for a one-night-only concert in Reykjavík on November 17, 2006. Profits from the concert were donated to The Sugarcubes' former label, Smekkleysa, who according to Björk's press statement "continue to work on a non-profit basis for the future betterment of Icelandic music". [12] The event was recorded, with some small clips being shown on Icelandic TV, but it is unknown whether a full release is planned. [13]

[edit] Volta

Preview of artwork from Volta (2007).
Preview of artwork from Volta (2007).

Björk's sixth full-length studio album Volta, a follow-up to 2004's Medúlla, will be released on May 7, 2007. It has been written and produced entirely by Björk herself and will feature ten new tracks. It will feature input from:

from [14]: "One Little Indian is preparing for what it expects to become the biggest-selling Bjork album yet, thanks to a new Timbaland-inspired commercial direction and the promotion of an 18-month world tour. The album Volta is released on May 7 and Bjork is preparing to work it extensively. The tour will be announced this Friday and dates are already confirmed for Glastonbury, Coachella and Roskilde.

One Little Indian managing director Derek Birkett is hugely excited by the sales potential of the album. "It's probably the most commercial thing she's ever done," he says. "It's really up and happy and the collaborations are extraordinary". Birkett is also surprised by the willingness of Bjork to tour so extensively, which will see her go round the world on a month-on month-off basis. "If someone had told me six months ago, I wouldn't have believed it," he says. "The plans for the tour are mind-blowing- Bjork's devised her own set and will have 30 musicians on stage".

Björk will also be touring for the first time in four years in support of the upcoming album; the majority of confirmed performances so far are at festivals. Drummer Darrin Costin has been working with Björk on her forthcoming tour.[4]

Björk has also collaborated on tracks with the following artists, the status of which are as yet unknown.

  • Michael Pärt has been "assisting at writing stages and involved in production and recording".[5]
  • Damian Taylor, programmer on Vespertine, has worked with Björk on material for her new album.[6]
  • Meredith Monk and Björk have worked together on a collaborative piece.[7]

Björk is also contributing songs to several forthcoming releases by other artists, the majority of which are to be released in early 2007.

  • Björk.com has just confirmed her North American dates of her world tour which kicks off on May 2.
  • May 02 - New York - Radio City Music Hall
  • May 05 - New York - United Palace Theater
  • May 08 - New York - Apollo Theater
  • May 12 - Chicago - Auditorium Theatre
  • May 15 - Denver - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
  • May 19 - San Francisco - Shoreline Amphitheatre
  • May 23 - Vancouver- Deer Lake Park

[edit] Björk in film

Björk Guðmundsdóttir and Lars von Trier at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2000.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir and Lars von Trier at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2000.

Björk's intermittent acting career began in 1990, when she appeared in The Juniper Tree, a tale of witchcraft based on the Brothers Grimm story of the same name. Björk played the role of Margit, a girl whose mother has been killed for practicing witchcraft. Björk also had an uncredited role in 1994's Prêt-à-Porter.

Björk also prominently appeared in the 2005 documentary Screaming Masterpiece, which delves into the Icelandic music scene. The movie features archive footage of The Sugarcubes and Tappi Tíkarrass, and an ongoing conversation with Björk herself.

In 1999, Björk was asked to write and produce the musical score for the film Dancer in the Dark, a genre-bending musical via drama about an immigrant named Selma who is struggling to pay for an operation to prevent her son from going blind. Director Lars von Trier eventually asked her to consider playing the role of Selma, a proposal she initially turned down. He then threatened to stop the project, which would have made all the musical work she had already done useless. Eventually, she accepted. Filming began in early 1999, and the film debuted in 2000 at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival. The film received the Palme d'Or, and Björk received the best actress award for her role, yet she described the shoot as so physically and emotionally trying that she has sworn off acting ever again. She allegedly had been under pressure from Von Trier about differences over the way she played her character. This was a rumour, however, that was put to rest in numerous interviews. Björk later stated that she always wanted to do one musical in her life, and this was the one. She also said that she could not do movies and music at the same time. The soundtrack Björk created for the film was released with the title Selmasongs. The album features a duet with Thom Yorke of Radiohead titled "I've Seen it All", which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song and performed at the 2001 Oscars. She was invited to record Gollum's Song for the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, but declined the invitation, as she was then pregnant; the track was instead recorded by her fellow Icelander Emilíana Torrini.

Her long-time boyfriend Matthew Barney is a major contemporary artist based in New York. Björk collaborated with him on the experimental art film Drawing Restraint 9, a dialogueless exploration of Japanese culture. Björk and Matthew both appear in the film. She says that what she does in the film isn't acting; it's being a human sculpture. She is also responsible for the film's soundtrack, her second after 2000s Selmasongs.

Director and previous collaborator Michel Gondry had asked Björk to star in his latest film The Science of Sleep, but she declined. Gondry said this is due to Lars Von Trier tainting her outlook on the movie industry by having her star in such a depressing and draining role as Selma in Dancer in the Dark.

[edit] Name and ancestry

Björk usually goes by her first name only. This is not a stage name or affectation; it is normal for an Icelander to be referred to by his or her first name, as the last name simply indicates the name of the father (or occasionally the mother). See Icelandic naming conventions.

Björk means "a birch tree" in Icelandic (the meaning of Icelandic names is often transparent), cognate with Old English beorc and the modern English word. Though many English-speakers pronounce her name "Byork," a more accurate approximation would be "Byirk," which she has pointed out rhymes with "jerk." [17] Guðmundsdóttir is pronounced roughly "GVUTH-muns-doh-tear", and means "Guðmundur's daughter".

Björk's father, Guðmundur Gunnarsson, is a well known union leader in Iceland and was nationally recognized before his daughter became famous. Her mother's name is Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir, and has also been politically active.

Although many have commented on her East Asian/Inuit facial features (she was teased as a child with the taunt 'China girl'), Björk denies any such in her ancestry. However she is not 'typical' in looks compared to other Icelandic people (but not unique, either).

[edit] The Swan Dress

Björk in a promo photo with the swan dress
Björk in a promo photo with the swan dress

At the 2001 Academy Awards, Björk raised eyebrows when she arrived wearing an unusual "swan dress", designed by Marjan Pejoski, that was later featured on the "Vespertine" album cover. The now iconic dress drew widespread media attention—both derision and praise—and perhaps will go down as one of the most memorable dresses at an award show. That night's Academy Awards Host, Steve Martin, joked, "I was going to wear my swan but to me they're so last year." Joan Rivers has commented that "Björk was brilliant [for] showing up in that swan dress," and Margaret Cho also praised it, saying "Björk wore the best dress ever to the Oscars. Ever! She wore a swan. And I'm not talking about a dress with white feathers on it. Oh, no. She rocked the whole bird.... And all the fashion magazines said she was the worst dressed, but when they say you're the worst, that really means you're the best." Ellen DeGeneres later wore it for comic effect at the 2001 Emmy Awards; Kevin James also did the same at the 2001 People's Choice Awards. At the 2006 Academy Awards Jon Stewart alluded to it in reference to the Dick Cheney hunting incident: "Björk couldn't be here tonight... she was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her."

In an episode of cartoon series Fairly Oddparents, Wanda's twin Blonda attends an award ceremony in a swan dress patterned after Björk's. Björk also appears in the Fairy Hall of Fame in Fairy World, a caricature of her is framed on a Wall of Fame and is clearly captioned "Björk".

Also, in the movie White Chicks, both actors can be seen in swan dresses during the fashion show finale. The joke goes that the Wayans brothers' characters "have no taste in clothes" and therefore wear the dresses without qualms but it turns out to be a prank by the Vandergeld sisters.

[edit] Personal life

Björk and her partner, contemporary media artist Matthew Barney, have a daughter, Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, born October 3, 2002. Björk also has a son, Sindri Eldon Þórsson, born June 8, 1986, with Þór Eldon, who was her bandmate in the Sugarcubes. Sindri is a journalist and plays bass for several bands at present.

Björk has complained of being hounded by paparazzi and in 1996 two separate incidents brought media attention. First, after a long flight to Thailand an exhausted Björk emerged from her aircraft at Don Muang Airport with her then ten-year-old son to find a group of journalists and cameramen waiting to greet her. When one reporter greeted Björk by saying, "Welcome to Bangkok," Björk attacked her and landed several blows before the melee was broken up. Björk even tried to go back and continue attacking the woman, but was helped onto a bus. Björk claimed that this reporter stuck a microphone in her son's face, prompting her to attack, though many have said that there is no evidence of this on tape. [18]. Her record label said the reporter had been pestering her for four days. Björk later called the reporter and apologized, and the reporter declined to press charges against her.

Later that year a mentally disturbed fan from Florida named Ricardo Lopez filmed himself in the process of making an acid bomb intended to kill Björk. The nearly 22 hours of videotape describe Lopez's obsession with Björk, the construction of the device, his thoughts on love, and general rantings. The video footage continues after his mailing the bomb and ends dramatically as Lopez, believing that his device would soon kill Björk, applies bizarre facepaint, shaves his head and shoots himself on camera. He was successful in taking his own life, but the tape was seen by police and the package was intercepted by the New Scotland Yard in time to save Björk. [19] [20]

Already a private person, Björk was reluctant to comment on either of these incidents and later told The Guardian: "It just got a bit much."

In an interview with Diva magazine in 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 recognise 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.” [21]

[edit] Discography

See Björk discography for the full listing and chart positions.

[edit] Grammy Nominations

Björk has been nominated for 12 Grammy, the majority of which were for her albums and music videos.

  • 1993 - "Human Behaviour" - Best Short Form Music Video
  • 1995 - Post - Best Alternative Music Performance
  • 1995 - "It's Oh So Quiet" - Best Short Form Music Video
  • 1997 - Homogenic - Best Alternative Album
  • 1998 - "Bachelorette" - Best Short Form Music Video
  • 1999 - "All Is Full of Love" - Best Short Form Music Video
  • 2000 - "Overture" (Selmasongs) - Best Pop Instrumental Performance
  • 2000 - "I've Seen It All" (Selmasongs) - Best Pop Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying A Vocalist(s)
  • 2001 - Vespertine - Best Alternative Album
  • 2003 - Family Tree - Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
  • 2004 - "Oceania" - Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
  • 2004 - Medúlla - Best Alternative Album

[edit] Other Awards/Nominations

[edit] Academy Awards

2001 - Best Song - I've Seen It All - Nomination

[edit] Brit Awards

1994 - Best Breakthrough Act - Win
1994 - Best International Female - Win
1995 - Best International Female - Win
1998 - Best International Female - Win
2001 - Best International Female - Nomination
2004 - Best International Female - Nomination
2006 - Best International Female - Nomination

[edit] Cannes Film Festival

2000 - Best Actress - Win

[edit] Golden Globes

2001 - Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture - Nomination
2001 - Best Song - I've Seen It All - Nomination

[edit] Television

[edit] Films, including cameos

[edit] Bibliography

  • 1984 - Um Úrnat frá Björk (free distribution)
  • 2001 - Björk (Little-i)
  • 2003 - Björk Live Book

[edit] Related bibliography

  • Post, by Sjón Sigurðsson/Björk Ltd. Bloomsbury (1995).
  • Björk - The Illustrated Story, by Paul Lester. Hamlyn (1996).
  • Björk - An Illustrated Biography, by Mick St. Michael. Omnibus Press (1996).
  • Björk Björkgraphy, by Martin Aston. Simon & Schuster (1996).
  • Björk, Colección Imágenes de Rock, N°82, by Jordi Bianciotto. Editorial La Máscara (1997).
  • Dancer in the Dark, by Lars von Trier. Film Four (2000).
  • Lobster or Fame, by Ólafur Jóhann Engilbertsson. Bad Taste (2000).
  • Army of She, by Evelyn McDonnell. Random House (2001).
  • Human Behaviour, by Ian Gittins. Carlton (2002).
  • Björk: There's More to Life Than This: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Ian Gittins. Imprint (2002).
  • Wow and Flutter, by Mark Pytlik. ECW (2003).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Inside Björk DVD documentary (2003). Documentary spanning Björk's musical career.
  2. ^ Q Magazine, February 2002, Q Concert Review, "Björk - Haskolaboi, Reykjavik", by Nick Duerden.
  3. ^ bjork.com (2007). "Volta is the name and the date is..". Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
  4. ^ www.silverfoxpercussion.com.
  5. ^ www.paert.com.
  6. ^ www.damiantaylor.com.
  7. ^ www.theglobeandmail.com.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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[edit] Video Links

v • d • e
Björk

Discography

Studio albums: Björk | Debut | Post | Homogenic | Vespertine | Medúlla | Volta

B-sides Compilation

Compilation albums and boxsets: Telegram | Greatest Hits | Family Tree | Army of Me: Remixes and Covers | (____surrounded):

Soundtrack and live albums: Selmasongs | Live Box | Drawing Restraint 9

Collaboration albums: Gling-Gló

Singles: "Human Behaviour" | "Venus as a Boy" | "Play Dead" | "Big Time Sensuality" | "Violently Happy" | "Army of Me" | "Isobel" | "It's Oh So Quiet" | "Hyper-Ballad" | "Possibly Maybe" | "I Miss You" | "Jóga" | "Bachelorette" | "Hunter" | "Alarm Call" | "All Is Full of Love" | "Hidden Place" | "Pagan Poetry" | "Cocoon" | "It's in Our Hands" | "Oceania" | "Who Is It" | "Triumph of a Heart" | "Where Is the Line" | "Earth Intruders"

Bands

Tappi Tíkarrass | KUKL | The Elgar Sisters | The Sugarcubes | Björk Guðmundsdóttir & Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar

Films

The Juniper Tree | Dancer in the Dark | Drawing Restraint 9

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