Medúlla

Un muy buen álbum de björk que logra generar una atmósfera oscura que te atrapa desde la primera canción

Sinead O'Connor's crazy Icelandic cousin. Unfortunately a banger, I quite enjoyed listening to this, even if I (probably) will never listen to this again.... probably.

I've listened to several songs by Bjork, and now five different albums from her. No matter her style, no matter her era, no matter her age, and no matter the theme of the album, there is just one thing to say about her: she's, oh, so boring. Favorite Track: "Where Is The Line".

This is the fourth Björk album I've gotten. I really appreciate the creativity. Very unique...in a good way.

Dude bjork is a tough listen

I listened to this album two years ago. Who is it? is a song I've listened to a lot of times after I first listened to this album (as a big Bjork fan). Nonetheless, I will be like every other Bjork fan and complain that albums like this got included over Homogenic, one of the best albums from the 90s. This is just pretty standard Bjork.

Wild album.

Not near her best but still very good

This record sets out what it was made to do. Very heavy distorted noises make you feel like you're in a dream that you can't wake up from. Favourite Track(s): nothing is Least Favourite Track(s): who sees you

bjork is shit

A little too out there for me on this one. Feels very ritualistic

TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE! DONT BOTHER LISTENING!

Okay I read some of the reviews ahead of listening to this (should not have done that) and I went into it very apprehensively but I can confidently say I enjoyed this pretty much in full. Bjork is not my go-to by any means but I’ve never been opposed to her music. I felt like this was interesting and full of life. Playlist add: “Desired Constellation” but “Where Is the Line” was in the running as well, I also just simply loved the parenthetical of “carry my joy on the left, carry my pain on the right”

It just sucks.

A estranheza musical de Björk é linda. Experiência que sempre vale a pena. QoA Adonis New.

The Pleasure Is All Mine to recommend this album.

Really unfair to give it this score rather than a 3.5 The style is incredibly unique and experimental. At times I’m in awe by how it somehow works and can easily understand why others would rate this higher

Very creative but a struggle to listen through on a whim. Probably better if you already love it or head's in a specific place

yeah man this is cute a couple dud parts but over all very interesting

The Björkiest Björk album, I think mostly a capella. Beyonce was supposed to add vocals like Mike Patton and Robert Wyatt did. It's probably her least pop record, more of a pops record for an alien future.

Here is an album that — whatever else you think of it — rewards listening through headphones. For example, “Where is the Line” is weird as hell, but it’s also a fascinating blend of choral singing and beat boxing. Not only because of those snippets of choral music, the album has the feel of a postmodern composition piece more than a collection of actual songs in the traditional way we think of them. It’s an exploration of the human voice and its ability to create tones, layers, rhythms, atmospheres and even non-human-sounding sounds. The end result is a kind of ambient meditation blending ancient and futuristic vocal techniques. It’s creative as hell and weird in the best way, and I’m not really a Bjork fan.

Too weird for pop music, too pop for weirdos.

Björk ist immer wieder gut, aber man muss gut zuhören.

Man if you don't like Bjork already, this is gonna be a tough one for you. I love Bjork and though this is not my favorite thing she's done, I do like it still. But more than that I appreciate what she did with this - I feel like this is much more of an artistic endeavor than just another album. The whole concept of wanting to make a record that is almost entirely human vocals is pretty interesting in and of itself, but when the person exploring that idea is Bjork, you know it's going to get really weird and special. So would I listen to this again? Yes but probably not often. You really have to be in the right mood for it. 9 times out of 10 I would go for a different record from Bjork. But I do think it is a great achievement and very well accomplished what she was trying to do. 3.75/5

Bjork is such a niche sound and style. Hearing anything from her always reminds me of “Army of me” from her second album and the “Suckerpunch” soundtrack which is awesome. This sound works well in certain settings, but I’m not too high on any full albums worth including this one.

I can appreciate the voice-as-art approach here, but calling these songs in some places is a stretch. Interesting sounds and a really adventurous project. But in the end, listening to this nearly shut down my medulla oblangata.

So this is our 4th Bjork album. For previous three albums I’ve give two 2s and a 4 for Debut. Which I think aligns to my thoughts on this one. I can get down with some Bjork. I keep going back and listening to Human Behaviour. Great song. This album fits some of my previous comments and gripes. I’m not sure these are songs. Sounds like some interesting sounds (some very good) combined with poetry that kind of sings along (although many times dropping the poetry and just making noises). Maybe she’d appreciate that description but not what I’m looking for in a music album. I really struggle between a 2 and 3. Some of the last songs really through me off. Ancestors. Oof. Triumph of the Heart was kind of cool. 2.5 but ultimately rounding down.

Pretty sure Björk may be the only musician that could pull this off. Not saying I love it, but I respect it. 3/5

Where Is The Line had been a great test of my openness and i believe i’ve passed. somewhere between 2 and 3 for me, i appreciate the acapella and creativity but after a bit it’s repetitive and falls flat.

wouldn't you know, we've got another bjork album! her fifth album release (and an album where she briefly struggled to find a good title), this album was quite innovative upon its creation, and a bit mixed reception-wise. compared to her other albums bjork wanted to make an album composed of vocal sounds exclusively. would you believe that bjork wanted to get the likes of beyonce to record material for this album? i guess i can sorta understand why many people are thrown off by this album, considering it is just that. it's just voices. voices only. however bjork is a very talented vocalist... i read a review on rym, the review talked about how this album "destroys the thing that makes her special in the first place", which i found odd, because out of all the things bjork is known for, i think her voice is like... the most important part of her work. her voice, paired with strange and ominous harmonies, vocal chops and voice-processing techniques... it makes for a REALLY engrossing audio experience. look, it's bjork. of course it's going to be strange. of course not everyone is going to enjoy it. but her style is still unmistakable. just because there's beatboxing in place of actual beats, it doesn't really diminish her songwriting at all. i've heard bad music. i've heard bad experimental music. and this isn't bad at all. it's stunning. maybe it's not the first album i'd introduce to people who want to get into her music, but this was phenomenal, honestly.

Yup, Björk.

this sounds like the music Maude from the big lebowski would make. Or it's like Todd Rungren's experimental album that was done completely with his own vocals? A cool one to put on here honestly. Feels very spiritual to me. I just love me some good harmonies.

Day957 - its definitely björk and its total nonsense

Ok Mouth's Cradle was ok

Not my thing

Fun- quirky

Love Bjork, but this is a bit of a tough listen.

2.5- some of this was actually pretty enjoyable, the rest was a little too much… acappella is a choice

Christ, that was hard work! There were some tracks I loved and some that I found disturbing (Ancestors - I'm looking at you) 3 seems like such an odd rating for something so bizarre!

Wow - where to start with this one. My main thought while I was listening to this album was "just because you can make all the sounds with your mouth, doesn't mean you should" BUT I think this is a super interesting album - adventurous, imaginative, daring - its A LOT! Breathing and beatboxing and throat singing - at times its uncomfortable at times transcendent. This is the 4th (?) album we've had from Björk, so maybe this one didn't need to be on here, but I'm pretty happy I got to listen to it at least once!

I've never quite gotten Björk.

I think the album got weaker on the back half, but in general this is exactly what I want from a Bjork album: weird, innovative, other worldly. She takes giant risks creatively, and she stands alone as an artists as a result. Not always my vibe, but impressive nonetheless.

I appreciate innovation, but at a certain point music just needs to sound good. Sometimes I think Bjork is more concerned about the former than the latter. That being said it still gets three stars because the highs were really high, you just need to sit through a lot of lows to get to them.

Um, points for originality, I guess? And great sound design - listened in my nice, over ear headphones and that added an extra layer to the listening experience. Definitely a vibe but not mine.

This is another album that is at least very interesting. The use of human voices gives the album a distinct character, even when it doesn't work super well. Some songs seem to be intentionally unintelligible, and I don't really care for those. I also think the beatboxing is kind of distracting. It's a unique album and I think it deserves a place on this list, but I don't expect to return to it very often. It's interesting that the Wikipedia article mentions that the album has charted #1 in three places: France, Iceland, and Wallonia. I just find it odd to call out that the album was popular in half of Belgium, and to put that region on the same level as two whole countries. This has nothing to do with the album itself; I simply found the detail amusing. Favorite track: "Mouth's Cradle"

Dull unlike her debut album. Too artsy fartsy.

Just Bjork and voices. A lot of it made me smile which probably wasn't the emotion she was trying to convey. Some of the more choral tracks are gorgeous. Countered by some of the beatbox which isn't. Although Bjork often rises above the noise. Overall, not my favourite Bjork album. But I do love having Bjork moaning and panting in my ear. 2½★

Totally wild concept, more or less pulled off. Some of these songs really worked for me, others felt more like an art piece that a genuine musical composition, but in all a pretty wild and interesting album.

What a unique and ambitious album! I really enjoyed this for the most part, but there were a few electronica influenced tracks that, while impressive they were done fully (or mostly?) vocally, were not my favourite. Personally, I want more of the weird, experimental tracks that are exploring the limit of the human voice, like Ancestors. I'm still very happy to have heard this album and think it deserves a spot on the list for the uniqueness alone.

I haven't enjoyed any of my previous listens to Bjork and this didn't change my mind. It seems light on melodies (with a couple of notable expectations). I get why people might like it, but for me it was a bit if a chore

Æ klare ikke si nokka fornuftig om det her, men æ elske det.

#1030. Weird. Almost interesting. Almost. 2/5: meh

The Kid A of Kid As

4/5

What a shame: in this album Björn has tipped from brilliance into absolute pretentiousness. I do hope that any of her earlier albums are on this list as they are far, far better. Listening to this was hard work.

nmy singing medulla

There's no-one quite like Björk. This is an interesting album with mostly just human voices on it. It strangely meditative and really pleasing to the ear.

Fascinating and a bit weird but this works on its own weird way. Definitely hanging close to line of 4 stars

#456 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ (partly) Revisit? ❌ ✅ I don't think I've heard this album at all. It was released during a time when all my time went into my own clubs, searching for new groups and going to gigs of very specific kind, but also starting a family. Pop music had no place in my life. The music is really beautiful, dreamlike at moments. Icelandic sounds amazing in these songs, reminds me of old stories from the sagas and what I've learned of norrønt language. I sort of wish it was played with more traditional and ancient instruments, instead of modern beats. I'm kind of surprised that Björk hasn't done projects with Wardruna or Heilung and the people behind those projects. Pretty music that was definitely not made for me 3/5

C‘est du Björk… pas mauvais!

Het gekste kindvrouwtje van de klas mag weer vaag, een beetje freaky en nèt iets te intens doen op een dit keer wat leeg (instrumenten ontbreken grotendeels) album. Ik vind het wel leuk dat we nu echt full Björk gaan, want als we dan toch Björk gaan moeten we er vol inleunen wat mij betreft. Het lijkt misschien nergens op te slaan maar dat gaat bonuspunten opleveren. Ik vind het wel aandoenlijk dat we haar met z'n allen zo omarmen. Als we haar met z'n allen hadden genegeerd dan weet je ook niet wat ze was gaan doen om toch nog aandacht te krijgen zeg maar. Dit album is als een stedentripje: Ik wil best even mee naar een moderne-kunstmuseum wat me verder niet per se heel erg aanspreekt, maar daarna gaan we wel op zoek naar een stuk of wat lekkere lokale IPAs en een pooltafel, om maar iets te noemen. En dan zeg ik terwijl we naar buiten lopen: Nou, was toch wel leuk om een keer gezien te hebben. Ik geef 4 lekker tegendraadse CKV leraar approved snob-sterren.

I'm from the hood do i look like i listen to bjonk Interesting premise idk if fully worked, probably need to give it another listen. 5/10

It is extremely cool to have an album where almost every sound is generated by the human voice - especially so for making it sound as full as this! While I do think this is more of a neat experiment than an album I'd return to over, say, Homogenic or Vespertine, it's still good enough to get an 8/10 from me.

In the past year and a half, I have somehow made it through three Bjork solo albums and one Sugarcubes album. I think that’s enough Bjork for one lifetime.

Björk is a diva from what I've seen. I'm glad she's as experimental as she is and that her music touches so many people in its intended way. But if the point is to solemnly listen to the theatrics and emerge with a new fundamental understanding of music... I'm just not there yet. Good a cappella though, and while the hymns did nothing for me, I was definitely captivated on the beatboxy/danceable songs. I also didn't have as much trouble as I usually do with her singing, I suppose due to it properly fitting in with all the musical weirdness going on around her. As a result, this might be my favorite non-Sugarcubes album from her to date. Standouts: Where Is The Line • Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) • Desired Constellation • Triumph of a Heart

Shit, what an album! I did NOT expect this to affect me so viscerally. Bjork said it was supposed to be similarly primal to cavemen making prehistoric music. I had chills for a good percentage of the album and it completely changed my opinion on a capella music. I was genuinely stunned by this.

Tiresome winnying masquerading as a concept album. The only thing I would like to do with this record is break the world javelin record

When I read what the album was about, I was really excited since I love this kind of stuff conceptually. However, the execution was just a bit underwhelming. I think a lot more could have been done with the vocal instruments idea that was only really explored in like… 2 or 3 of the tracks. The choral sound is nice but there’s only so many ways you can spin it before you’re making the same tracks again and again. Don’t get it twisted, the choral sound is nice and I really enjoyed the album, but it’s the age old dilemma of too much of a good thing in my opinion.

I guess maybe she just isn't for me, but I feel like once you've heard one Björk album you've heard them all. Seriously, does this list need 4 Björk albums? I think not.

Oh Bjork. I historically don’t like you. Not even a little. Let’s see how this goes… Definitely missed this one. No surprise there. Yeah. Why? Just because you “explore the voice” doesn’t make it music. Just because you put your “psyche on display” doesn’t make it art. Why? Why must I endure these “vulnerable” female “artists” à la Joanna Newsom with their cults of vehement followers? Sorry but certain “vulnerability” sure seems like narcissism to me. Arghhhh. 2 Boolean: true? Yeah, I mean what resources went into this vulnerable display? What’s the sheer number of hours of other artist's time consumed by it?

I'll give it points for being unique, and the acapella was interesting. However, I don't think it's for me; it was a little too weird for my tastes.

I did not enjoy this

While I do enjoy a lot of what I've heard from Bjork, I don't think this album is nearly as palatable as her earlier stuff (Debut and Post). This album relies too much on arhythmic noises and undecipherable singing. There's very little in this album to grip onto to be able to relate to. It's still got that typical weird Bjork-vibe, but for me, it has jumped the shark. Edit: I've listened to this a second time after reading reviews and the Wiki. I did not know that this was entirely a cappella. That certainly changes things as I am more impressed with what was achieved with vocals only. I have more respect for it now and am able to appreciate it more in that respect.

You could say, 'You either like Björk, or you don't.' I like Björk. I like her Icelandic metal vocals. I like her sweet pop vocals. I like her classic whisper vocals. She's all over the place, loud. Quiet. Metal. Jazzy. Poppy. That being said, sometimes I'm in the mood for her, and sometimes I'm not. Today I was. Medúlla is solid.

Schlimmes Gequietsche!

I'm glad this album exists, but I'm not sure if I liked it.

It's been almost a year since I checked out Björk's debut on my album journey, and I was curious which record I'd get from her next. As it turned out, this was quite the genre swerve. After the success of her electronic-influenced Vespertine, Björk wanted to avoid instruments and electronics altogether, opting for a more introverted approach that focused on the human voice. Thus, aside from programming and a few spare instrumental additions such as the occasional piano or bass synthesizer, Medúlla is an a capella album. It's certainly an ambitious effort, reflected in the personnel she recruited to offer a variety of vocal techniques. You have Tagaq's Inuit throat singing on tracks like "Pleasure Is All Mine" and "Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)", beatboxing from Rahzel of The Roots, Shlomo, and Dokaka on the likes of "Where Is The Line", "Oceania", and "Triumph of a Heart", Gregory Purnhagen's mimicry of a trombone on "Where Is The Line" and "Triumph of a Heart", and the choral vocals for half the record offering a wide range of utility with the voice while keeping Björk's off-kilter delivery the central focus. Even Mike Patton of Faith No More fame and Robert Wyatt show up to offer more passionate deliveries on cuts like "Where Is The Line" and "Submarine". Stranger than that, Beyoncé almost made it on this record. Imagine the reception that would have garnered. And yet... I don't know, this record's not quite fully clicking for me. I cannot deny the bold direction that Björk went with this record, but the focus on the voice can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there is an almost earthly feel to stripping back the instrumentation and focusing on the voice, which can certainly work wonders on the more intimate cuts like "Show Me Forgiveness" and "Öll Birtan". On the other hand, when you have a collective of voices coming together and need to keep Björk's voice at the center while also tinkering with the programming to keep the beatboxing patterns in time, the mixing can get rather muddy. I'm not surprised that these songs would be difficult to replicate in a live setting, because the programming had to play a bigger role in keeping it all together without a melodic instrumental foundation, and it doesn't always pay off. Man, I spent so much time discussing the voices on the record, I hadn't even gotten to what Björk was saying with hers. Aside from the gibberish on cuts like "Ancestors" and "Miðvikudags", Björk reflected on her motherhood after the birth of her daughter with artist Matthew Barney. Some tracks like "Pleasure Is All Mine" and "Submarine" saw her muse on the breastfeeding she did for her newborn, and the intimacy surrounding it, while other tracks like "Show Me Forgiveness", "Where Is The Line", and "Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)" saw her grapple with more complex emotions as she sought to do right as a new mother in a chaotic world. "Oceania" even saw her extending the motherly outlook onto the world itself, as the ocean is viewed as a caretaker for the countries it surrounds, with no boundaries between them. It's a bit clunky in the messaging, but I found it endearing. Really, the only lyrics that I wasn't into were the outro of "Mouth's Cradle", with the repeated lines "I need to build a shelter away/From all the Osamas and Bushes", very bluntly telling the audience that even she was emotionally affected by 9/11 and the war with Iraq. Even if her heart was in the right place, her feelings on that predicament could have been told differently. At the end of the day, I respect the experimentation on Medúlla, even if I feel it's only partially realized. I know Björk would continue with her genre-swerving, and I certainly admire her for doing so, even if it's not always gonna click for me. That's all.

One of the more special

01) Pleasure Is All Mine - 7,5 02) Show Me Forgiveness - 6,5 03) Where Is the Line - 7,0 04) Vökuró - 6,5 05) Öll Birtan - 5,5 06) Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) - 7,5 07) Submarine - 6,0 08) Desired Constellation - 6,5 09) Oceania - 7,0 10) Sonnets / Unrealities XI - 5,5 11) Ancestors -3,0 12) Mouth's Cradle - 6,5 13) Miðvikudags - 5,0 14) Triumph of a Heart - 7,5 TOTAL: 6,25 (63/100)

I appreciate the sperimentation in music and this work is very interesting. But I don’t see me listening to this album again in the future

Interessantes und voll cooles Album tatsächlich. Eher weniger was für casual listening aber sonst sehr cool

I don't think I'm a huge Bjork fan after listening to this album. Found myself more irritated than enjoying.

Oh. hiiiiiii Bjork! :) GPT says, "This is Björk’s “mostly voices” album. Not fully a cappella in the barbershop sense, but the concept is that the human voice becomes the main instrument: choirs, throat singing, beatboxing, layered vocals, breathing, chanting, guttural sounds, soft harmonies, and weird mouth textures. There are some non-vocal elements here and there, but the whole identity of the album is built around voice as rhythm, atmosphere, percussion, bass, melody, and ritual." I don't know if any of these tracks made it on the radio. Is this when she started getting weird? lol Hmm yeah this was a little much for me to really enjoy. There were so many tracks that were disturbing and difficult to get through. As much as I love Bjorks Post, Debut, and Homogenic albums. This one was too weird. 2 stars.

Wat is dit oprecht misschien wel allerkutste album tot nu toe

Björk has such a haunting, unique voice. I really enjoyed the vocals and the musical creativity. She is definitely becoming a favorite due to this project

I don't "get" Bjork. "The pleasure is all mine" is the first track and would have to hope it is hers because I sure as hell didn't enjoy it. I never quite understood the fawning over her that triple j here in Australia did. Perhaps I was too overexposed from that. I didn't see it then and having struggled through this don't see it now. This was a hard listen for me. Visionary some call it. A 4 letter "c" word that rhymes with claptrap is what I would call it. I kinda liked the background singers on Vokuro if only could tune the lead singer out. Only 3 albums of hers to go (and one user submitted entry). Sigh. I really want to give it one star but Desired Constellations (track 7) was almost ok, but also a minute too long. Ok one star as the next track annoyed me senseless again. Having listened to the album I have worked out one thing that annoys me. It is all very different and avant-garde but feels also very overproduced. To me the two don't mesh and it is this discordance that means I can't enjoy it. Maybe her other albums won't be like this and still annoy me but I was listening to this and just trying to work it out.

8/10

Overall Rating - 2.86/5 (5.71/10). Just weird. Not necessarily unpleasantly so, but definitely weird. I can tell she's having a lot of fun with this, but it's a little far afield for me.

Nunca pude entrarle a bjork, pero este album fue un buen inicio para mi en su carrera!

I’ve always appreciated Bjork more in principle rather than application. These mostly stripped down arrangements (sometimes even a capella ) are fairly interesting, as they let her unique voice do its thing without fuss. 3.5 stars

Bjork has always done her own thing, constantly pushing the boundaries of music as an artform. Whilst I don't love this album, her commitment to the vision is commendable and I doubt many others would've been album to produce something so focused and polished.

My first thought when I saw this album pop up was “Oh No”. I really liked the first few Bjork albums. But at some point (maybe this album) I just didn’t have the patience anymore and I stopped following her releases. Revisiting this was fun. The pull for Bjork for me was always the production, which on this album was more minimalist than I prefer. But after a few songs I was able to adjust well. It took two sessions to finish this album, but ultimate I am glad I did. Don’t hate it as much as before but I will likely not revisit again as a whole, maybe a song or two. 3 stars Also, the “Oh No” that popped in my head wasn’t because I had to listen to this again, it was anticipating the reaction, lol.

3 Bork albums? Bjork never fails to push the boundaries of creativity. This is mostly a capella and is (once again, like her other albums) more of an art piece than pop music.It defies categoriztion. Very heady, if you want something to think about, throw this on. I'll probably listen again at some point, it's odd and heavy and genuine.

I have tried several times to listen to this album. It has come to the point where I dread having to come back to it. I take that as a low score and I will move on...

love herrrrr

I don't know if we need as much Björk as we get on this list, but I'm glad she's out there doing her thing. I'm glad she and Mike Patton hung out. This is interesting enough. Desired Constellation is good. Triumph Of A Heart is bananas. The other album with Black Lake is my favourite that I've heard from her.

There is a lot of Björk on this list. This is an interesting concept, easily experienced in a couple of the songs. A whole album of it is not required listening.

As strange and boring as expected

Heel eery Soort pratende harnoniën? Word er heel naar van. Nvm tis verschrikkelijk

I read somewhere that Björk is like the cool version of Yoko Ono. Well, if that's true, at least she actually sings—despite her constant urge to make noises and moans in the background of the songs.

Tiresome wailing.

Just couldn't get behind this one. Vocals really killed it for me.

A mewling kittiwake doing flattened Renaissance polyphony with chopped, screwed, and fattened electro body beats.

Not the juggernaut of Vespertine, but still has its moments. Bjork knows how to walk the line between control and its surrender. All the little electronic sounds—bleeps and blurps, etc—push the songs pretty far out of the comfort zone, but never abandon the music entirely to experiment.

It took me from early July to mid September to actually be able to get through this album. I love Björk, but I HATED this. At one point I was like oh thank god I actually don’t mind this, and that’s when I realised it had finally finished and it was playing a track from another album of hers. This was painful.

10/10 as always for Björk. Incredible vocals that are a mix of childlike and pure primal power. Really interesting sound an and she takes us away from our world into hers. Standout songs are Where Is The Line and Oll Birtan.

so weird, did not expect to be as into it as i was

Some great elements but she habitually goes way too experimental and corsses into childishly anoying. I think 95% of her songs shouldnt make it out of the studio.

The sparse accompaniments really push her voice forward, and that can be a really great thing. She has a wonderful voice and I tend to like Bjork, but this album was a bit of a chore.

The instrumentals were actually pretty neat at some points, but the vocals were genuinely unbearable. The problem is that this is a vocal centric album, so it completely falls flat. I never want to listen to this again.

I was NOT in this place today. But Bjork is just such a one of a kind quirky cutie, I have to give her props. 4.3

Ambitious, but hard to listen to

This album made me feel like I had done something wrong and was being punished for it. Entirely unenjoyable.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I've always thought that Björk was very cool, but I've never actually listened to her music before. Weird and Experimental, but surprisingly approachable. But when you get to a point where you think you are understanding it, she pulls back a little and it gets weird again.

once gain, fuck bjork

I wanted to like the album, but mean is it boring. 3/10

Muy limpio el sonido pero no entiendo la vibra, tiene como algo experimental (?

Bjork at her bonkers best

I like Bjork

Björk is nothing if not interesting. I had "Homogenic" when it came out, it was exceptionally good for creating a mood. Ex took that in the divorce so haven't listened to it in years. I'm liking this one a lot. I may have to go get this and "Homogenic" for my collection.

I genuinely enjoy how much of a weirdo Björk is, and I really enjoy some of her output - but it tends to be a few songs spread out over a few albums rather than a full length record. That doesn't disqualify this album from inclusion in this list, and as a musical/cultural figure Björk and several of her more experimental albums definitely deserve inclusion.

Why is this on here?

Off putting in a great way

Mystical, ethereal, animal, strange.

Very cool stuff. Maybe a bit too cool? But the singing is beautiful. I mostly listen at work, and that is pretty hard here. Ultimately a 3. This needs active listening in a way I am not always looking for with music.

Yes! More of this, she’s a challenging listen but do like this album.

Borderline unlistenable

Not really for me but I appreciate what the albums trying to do. Thinking about Bjork in a witchy context gives perspective to her style I think, and she makes sense as the Scandinavian version of Stevie Nicks or Florence and the Machine

Bjork is really intentional with her music, it all feels erratic but perfectly hand selected at the same time. It doesn't really do it for me but I like her dedication to the craft and her individuality

Anything by Bjork has to be graded on a curve as far as eccentricity goes, so making what's basically an *a capella* album honestly isn't *that* weird; this is more or less an entire album that sounds like the last couple tracks on *Post*, only with fewer beats and more Inuk throat singing. Thematically, Bjork leans hard into her own earth-mother mythos, a development accelerated by the birth of her daughter. In the process she seems to seek to express something essentially feminine: "Where Is the Line" finds her pulled between the two poles of polite deference and hurt frustration at being taken advantage of, while on "Submarine" she calls on her body to wake up from domestic hibernation and rejoin the artistic world. As I said above, this is mostly beatless - which is hard, because the few exceptions, especially the closer "Triumph of a Heart," throb with such powerful energy that you wish for a whole album of that. But on the whole this is a worthwhile and unique change of pace from an always worthwhile, always unique artist.

Fólk virðist annað hvort hata þessa plötu eða elska. Ég elska hana kannski ekki ennþá, en hún vinnur á með hverri hlustun, er töff og margt er ótrúlega flott.

A: ... lät stundvis som dom sämsta delarna av Fiona Apple. 1/5 D: Det märks att hon hade redan blivit känd och kunde göra lite vad hon ville. Blev lite besviken på henne, men tbf är det fullt i karaktär för henne att göra lite vad hon vill utan att bry sig. Stor respekt för det och ställvis fanns det, öh, intressanta ljud, men märkte inte på säkert 10 min att jag inte hörde låtarna, så jo. Men de e Björkkkkkkk 2/5

I'm probably biased when it comes to Bjork I've been a big fan since the 90s this album still sounds amazing and like no other, using the human voice as an instrument for the beats and all the layers hard to fault this one is near perfect

Bjork had a beautiful voice but her music is so far out that only a small number of people can understand it. I'm not one of them

It is fantastically creative and challenging in equal measure. Where it works best is when it manages to maintain a strong sense of melody and structure (Oceania); when it doesn’t have that the experimentation becomes an obstacle.

I love Björk but I have to go with my gut here. Brilliantly challenging and the diversity of sounds is a wonderful showcase of the human voice as instrument, but there is too little payoff in the music here, with only a few tracks (‘who is it’, ‘submarine’ and ‘triumph of a heart’) that I think I could reasonably listen to again outside of the context of the album - likely because these are the closer to a more traditional song structure. One of those albums that is an important experience even if it is not loved - there aren’t many artists that would feature throat singing, beatboxing, and baroque choir on the same track let alone album.

not my cup of tea, but it had some solid moments (i.e. Where is the Line)

she's nice bot not a good workplace listen

It was more subdued than I expected . I liked it but I'm unlikely to add it to my repeat play list.

Fascinating in the same way watching a murder is fascinating. Apart from Ancestors, which sounds like an absurd, Inuit orgy.

Jesus Christ this was weird. I did not enjoy a single part of it.

A bit too much in spots but has some really salient music even 22 years on. Bjork is ahead of a time. It's just not always clear what time that is.

I am generally not huge on Björk. I have listened to several album of hers and I am still waiting for one to truly click with me. I will keep attempting though. A friend of mine complained about this record and played me a song without context. I wasn't wild about it. Needless to say the lack of excitement was here when I pulled this album. I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It is one of the more interesting albums I have listened to during the challenge. I didn't know what to expect but some things stood out. First the dark atmosphere was great. It really reminded me of some songs across the various projects of Karin Dreijer. Then the whole approach to crafting the album. It deconstructs music down to its rawest form and in most cases instead of instruments, Björk uses human vocals. That makes it standout in front of a lot of albums. I can't say that the concept worked for me in its entirety but it's really ambitious and I like that. I also think that it needs to be listened in one sitting as the tracks and the mood builds up. Listening any song outside of the context of the album would probably result in a similar result to when I had tried to do so. I liked "Desired Constellation" and "Mouth's Cradle" as the blend of excellent electronic elements and vocal harmonies worked exceptionally well for me. The more I think about it, the more I see it as a work of art. I may even have to retract what I said in the first paragraph.

Painful

Oh hey weird Bjork. Early Bjork is good, later Bjork is weird

Quick, I need the most Bjork album you have! ... No, that's too much Bjork.

love bjork but this album is not one i like

I have never quite gotten there with Bjork. Fully admire her as an artist. An individualist who has created a unique body of work that borders on avant garde. Musically I have never found her music appealing. I understand Bjork does not make music for enjoyment as she explores some form of her, and our psyches. I just cannot connect with her wavelength. Framing this lack of connection as an “I” problem rather than blaming her. Medulla places the voice front and center. Rarely did she imitate familiar vocal arrangements. I did not hear straight gospel, nor Gregorian nor boys’ choirs. I struggle to put my finger on exactly what Bjork develops. The songs mostly move at a glacial pace. Unlike ambient music, which can lull the listener into a pleasing trance, the songs here express pain and disjointedness to my ears. Bjork seized my attention despite the minimalism present, however I did not find myself carried away in any capacity. I could see it happening someday.

Bjork is f-in weird. Some of the songs were gorgeous while others were annoying. I can recognize her talents without enjoying them.

How did I completely overlook this album at the time? A beautiful concept wonderfully executed.

This album stressed me out. It was grating and irritating and put me in a bad mood.

Lovely bjonkers bjork.

interresting but challenging

I have to say - this might be the first album I've had so far (250 in) where I genuinely don't know what to actually think. I'm aware that Björk is...unique, but this really was something different. I'll give props for the creativity of creating an entire album almost exclusively with just the human voice. Some songs sort of landed, some didn't, all I'll say is I do want to listen again. Best I can do is a 3 down the middle - but who knows what future listens will bring.

I can see the beauty in her work, but can also see how her music can be polarizing.

transcending time and space, einfach geil und kreativ

I am not a Bjork fan.

everyone should listen to this at least once in their life, an album made mainly with vocals, some insane concepts on this and creativity

really, all of björk's works should be on here and all considered just brilliant. i think she still gets slightly better from each release to the next. this is how it should be, an artist's best works should not be at the start of their career.

I'll give Björk this: she managed to make a 45-minute album (almost) entirely a capella without resorting to anything conventional. You won't find any easy barbershop harmonies or seamlessly blended voices here. In fact, every one of the many, MANY voices on this album seem to deliberately clash against each other to make them stand out in the spacious, at times miry mix. On this album, Björk enlists throat singer Tanya Tagaq, experimentalists Mike Patton and Robert Wyatt, and a litany of choirs and beatboxers to create an oddly cold and unfeeling atmosphere. Sort of ironic as about 95% of this album is created with the voice, the most human of all instruments. The mix is also kind of dry in sections where Björk herself sounds way too upfront on some of these songs, which make the whole thing feel oddly incomplete despite how obviously prepared and painstakingly arranged this whole album was. This will probably go down as the most divisive album in her very varied catalogue. Björk would only keep veering into strange single-instrument experiments like this one, which quietly signalled that she had exited the masterpiece period that produced the 3 albums that preceded this. Key Tracks: Where Is the Line, Who Is It, Oceania

Ok! I’ve now listened to my third of the three Björk albums on this list. Hallelujah. Honestly they aren’t so different from each other to merit that many. There are so many artists in the world, you don’t need three from Björk to understand she makes avant-garde music. I would omit this one. It’s probably a 1.5 star album for me although I’ll round up to two for the song Who Is It.

Good record, creative, nothing wrong with it, but I don’t see myself reaching for it in the future

I LOVE HER VOICE SO MUCH! Favourite Songs: Where Is the Line?, Who Is It (Carry My Joy On the Left, Carry My Pain On the Right), Oceania, Triuimph of a Heart. Least Favourite Songs: Öll Birtan, Ancestors.

Why would you put what’s arguably Björk’s worst album on here?

I will always be fascinated by Björk. I wish I could take a pill that shrunk me down so I could explore the inside of her head. The fact that this is an almost entirely a-cappella album is bananas. Fav song: Who Is It

not my fav album by her but still. it's bjork

Delightfully weird and beautiful. I would not willingly listen to beatboxing or wet mouth noises on a record from anyone else. fav song: oceania, mouth's cradle

I have been trying to approach these albums with an open mind. After all, every one of these has something to offer, but with this one I just don't understand. I spent the entire time lost in the various seemingly random sounds. Every time a new song began I felt disappointed that the album wasn't over yet.

Firmly in the weird category. But I appreciated the dedication to an acapella album with lots of texture.

Trust Björk to produce something this unique. Not many artists would dare to make something so utterly strange, but the voices and beats work together really well. 4

I like Björk but I got no enjoyment from this one, I think it actively made me anxious. Challenging the listener does not always equal good

Perhaps that’s art and perhaps she’s an alien. Either way, not for me. (0.94*s) I’ll look for Bjork next time I’m in Iceland.

What the hell? Bjork goes off the deep end with Medulla. Either she is trying to stimulate that part of the brain or conjure up some evil spirits. Songs like "Ancestors" sound like she is attempting to revive dead relatives with a cultish ritual or having creepy sex. Not into throat singing. She is just too weird and I think the praise is only coming from stuck up, artsy critics. How this album charted in several countries and sold millions of copies is beyond. Amazingly, I'd rather listen to some lame country or big band,..0.6 stars.

Pretty heavy rotation of Bjork over the past few months. While I welcome the exposure to an artist that I know is a polarizing (both musically and otherwise), the schtick is certainly starting to wear thin. I think I understand what she is going for on Medulla by developing an album that is primarily vocals, but I can't say the results do anything to back it up or make me feel like I have any reason I needed to hear this before I died. She's certainly a character, but that doesn't automatically make anything she does good. Last song was the best and most interesting but I was fully over it by the time I got anywhere near that point in the album. This one reeks of critical arrogance and hipster douchiness trying to seem like they somehow "get it" despite it mostly being nonsensical Icelandic chanting. The fact that the critical reviews are overwhelmingly positive does little to give me confidence in their ability to actually criticize anything. It's fine to call the album interesting or fascinating as it is trying something different but not everything needs to be heralded as "brave" or "groundbreaking" just for being unorthodox, especially when sometimes an artist deserves to be called out when something didn't work. I'd be fine if the reviews were mixed as the album is clearly not for everyone despite the fact that stuffy critics across the board don't have it in them to admit it. 0.88 stars

She's talented and unlistenable all at once.

I'm a lucky boy. I didn't remember the generator today, so this one comes to me in the perfect time. I was listening to this record a lot a few years ago, when I did my first Bjork run. After this one came Volta, so I went back to this one and listened to it so much. I think, reflecting back on her career until today, this album is the last one that combines perfectly the experimental eccentric bjork with the amazing pop writer that she is. The only vocal arrangement here is spectacular. Jaw dropping at first listen, and a sound that doesn't exist in any other album I've ever heard. The songs, some charmingly weird and some incredibly catchy, are great. You can really sence the motherhood theme she was aiming for. The opening track, who was it, Oceania, what happens to a heart, all massive bangers. Bjork's vocal work here is just... outstanding in any way. She's expressive, technical and so passionate. It's not one of the albums most people consider a perfect album. Maybe I agree that it isn't. But the influence it has on you when you listen to it from front to back is immense. Tomorrow morning I'll decide if it's a high 4 or 5. Now I'm going to watch Caetano Veloso preformed. Wish me luck. The show was incredible. I'll give this one a 4. Two other bjork albums will get a 5 later. But the 4 is very high

No.

When Björk released her fifth studio album, "Medúlla", I just felt I was no longer connecting with her music. I was a massive fan of her first two albums, "Debut" and "Post". I really liked the way she mixed avant-garde and pop music. I didn't find her third album, "Homogenic", as impressive. With the soundtrack "Selmasongs", she returned once more to her blend of avant-garde and pop music. The fourth album, "Vespertine", with its cold, electronic sound, just didn't do it for me. The compositions became more and more inaccessible. This idea is made even stronger on "Medúlla". The album's a departure from the cold electronic sound of the last one, and it's all about the vocals. With some tracks, it feels like the experiments with layered vocals have messed up the composition. I've got nothing against contemporary classical music, which is often more about sound than melody, but in the end, Björk's vocal talent just sounds like monotonous white noise to me. Around half the songs feel like they're just intros or outros, and you're left waiting for the actual song to begin. Even the big-name guests, like Robert Wyatt, Mike Patton and Tanya Tagaq, an Inuit throat singer, can't help. It's all very artful, but it's a bit too l'art pour l'art for my taste, an impression that would only get stronger on later albums. Some tracks really convinced my today revisiting the album after 20 years, but some just didn't. Still, it's the last Björk album I bought and kept. I think Björk is a really courageous artist with her own ideas and innovative concepts, but I just can't follow her anymore. Even I sometimes find music a bit too cerebral.

Yeah rlly not my style I don't fuck w it. Too artistic for me I guess

Wonderfully vocally crafted. Envious of anyone who can create music with nothing but your vocal cords.

no banque nada una re poronga

Bjork is one of my favorite artists. I almost feel that she can do no wrong when it comes to music. This record though, is perhaps my least favorite of hers. It is still very beautiful but I still can't sit to listen to the whole record as I can with other records of hers.

Not quite Vespertine.

I’ve been enjoying Bjork when she’s appeared but this felt like it stumbled too much into impenetrable art project. Interesting though.

Interesting and weird album Standout songs: Where is the line Who it is Mouths Cradle

It's Bjork so you know it's gonna be different every time. And this isn't any different. It's dark and hollow and echo-y and big and brooding. It's like hearing a Greek tragedy from another planet. It's impressive as it is hard to take all in.

It boggles the mind that people enjoy this

Did I really need to listen to this before I die?

I quite like "where is the line"

Hauntingly, creative sounds. I love the dissonance of her voice. This album was wonderful.

i procrastinated listening to this album for weeks after hearing the first track. there's nothing i like about any of the songs in this album. idc if this is harsh. weird music.

I respect the game and creativity but this shit was so hard to get through

There are no McDonald's in Iceland and they banned dogs. This album is probably why

Много смешных звуков на протяжении всего альбома, самые смешные в последней песне, афекствининг происходит, мозг балдеет и кайфует

bjork at her weirdest

Bjork definitely has her own genre of music. I appreciate it, but isn't always my thing. Highlights: "Who Is It?" and "Oceania"

Loved this

Nice

Album #300. Quick side not before I begin. I’ve been informed that the correct pronunciation for this artist is “Byerk”, which is significantly less fun than the way I’d been pronouncing it this entire time. On to the review. Oh boy, people do NOT like this one do they?? This is my second Björk album for this project out of 4 total, following 1993’s Debut, which I really liked for being unique and having some cool Electronica components. Multiple years later down the line, we’ve got Medúlla. What did I think of it, you ask?? Well… yeesh, it’s pretty bad. A capella music, first and foremost, is just not generally my bag. I need some actual music in my songs to be interested enough to care. An entire 45 minute long album of it is asking a lot, and it feels longer if it’s not in your language some of the time. I think Björk has a fine singing voice. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s ok enough, but I don’t want to listen to her and 3 others mimicking instruments and breathing heavily for just under an hour. As another review mentioned, they should use that for torture. In fact, this is another one of those albums where reading the reviews is a better experience than listening to the album itself. Something else that didn’t really give me a lot of positive things to say about this album is that it’s got none of her hits at all. I get that the author thought this one was unique, but do you really need 4 of these in total, and specifically add this one, with none of her Top 10 on Spotify on it?? I don’t think you do. So many artists to pick from, but Björk steals 4 entire slots. Returning to the uniqueness of this album, I’ll at least also concede that the concept is cool on paper. Having an Icelander, a throat singer and some beatboxers replace instruments sounds neat enough in theory, but I just don’t want to personally hear it with Björk at the helm. My absolute biggest complaint with this album is actually the underutilization of the aforementioned beat boxers and throat singer. Songs where they’re prominently featured, like “Where Is The Line”, and “Triumph of a Heart”, are easily my favorite on the album, my personal favorite being the closer, “Triumph of a Heart”. I’d personally rather have more of that and less singing by Björk. Her breathiness annoys me, and like I already said, I don’t want to listen to her for 45 minutes at a time when she’s not paired with some instruments. For instance, if “Vokuro” was just the background singers, I’d enjoy the song much more than I do. Other songs where it’s literally just her, like “Oll Birtan”, while a novel concept, annoy me extensively in execution and I end up skipping them. Most other songs are just boring and utterly forgettable. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this album, and I’m a bit skeptical of the other 2. Sorry Björk, this is an easy 2 from me. Neat concept, cool concept even, but not so great on the ears. I want more of the beat boxers next time. Let them shine some more. They kick ass.

Day 46 — Björk — Medulla (2004) Listened: May 19-21, 2026 Genre: Avant-Garde / Acappella / Experimental Electronic Vibe: The human body as the only instrument — voices, beatboxing, throat singing, and choral layers replacing every conventional sound, an album built entirely from the inside out. Highlights: ★ Triumph of a Heart Impression: Not my thing but I can appreciate what it is. Once I understood it was all a cappella and beatboxing it clicked a little more. Björk has a remarkable voice and the talent involved is undeniable. Could groove slightly to Triumph of a Heart on the last listen — that was enough to find one favorite and move on. Rating: 1.3/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Maybe

I didn’t really enjoy this much, it was interesting and weird, but a little too weird for me. The concept is cool, with most of the songs being made up of different vocal sounds, but it would have been better with more standard instrumentation in my opinion. I’ll give it a low 3, 2 for enjoyment plus 1 for at least being interesting.

?? que es esto

It was... interesting

Gloriously different and at some times distinctly odd. Birk is something special.

Well, much like 'Debut' (and possibly all of Björk's albums?), there's certainly some polarizing material here. I'd say about half of these tracks are the auditory equivalent of Jackson Pollock drip paintings: interesting in passing, but too challenging to revisit often (or at all). However, and especially given the techniques that were utilized, the other half of this album is pretty damn amazing. While I regrettably can't award top marks due to the inaccessible drippings, Björk's vision & execution have nothing but my FULL respect on this one.

Not every idea Bjork has is a good one. Someone should have stopped this before it was made.

Bjork embracing an avant-garde approach to her later albums. I'm not sure anything will ever be as strong as Debut and I'm not sure I can get behind how experimental some of these songs go, but alas, I still enjoy her music.

I love Björk and this album, but it has a few skips for me.

Great artist, highly unique and cool.

This is so very strange and beautiful. Haunting.

Omg žiauriai sunku klausytis, labai nemalonu, šaunuolė.

Medúlla's a cappella concept is an interesting one, and one that leads to fantastic results on the more upbeat songs on the album. The deep beatboxing on "Where is the Line?" gives the song a nice bounce. The slightly electronic closer is the best song on the album - while it strays from the concept a bit it still uses a lot of voices and is very fun. If the entire album was like the closer this would get a 4. Sadly, the rest of the album is much more difficult, focusing on slower songs where the vocals are drawn out. The slowness of the songs aren't the problem as much as the slowness of Bjork's vocals, which make the songs feel like they meander a bit. And outside of the experimental a cappella-ness, they aren't much different from Bjork's other songs structurally. There are definitely some interesting ideas here, but it's just too hard to listen to.

One of her most accessible albums, although still plenty of quirks and Björkisms to be found

A very Björk album. So creative, but there is only so much a capello.

What a weird album. Some guttural sounds that get tiresome and just what seems like a cliche Bjork album. Almost a parody of itself.

This is something

Yeah… so, this is not really the Björk I like. But respect to her for doing this

Idk, I just can't get into Björk. I don't know what it is about her music that just doesn't hit for me

An absolute triumph of an album, pure in its commitment to exploration of the voice as an instrument while committed to moving in both avant-grade, folk, and pop spaces. For a 45 minute record this is incredibly dense listening; it needs 7 more listens for me to truly grasp it all, but solely for the shivers of emotion stirred by "Who Is It", I'm grateful already for this one. One of Björk's finest for sure, and worthy of inclusion here.

This was a tough cookie of an album. It has an interesting concept that there is really no instruments, but instead there are voices a cappella that are added together in a way to make up for the lack of instrumentation. So for example on "Where Is the Line" it has aggressive beatboxing in place where an electronic kick drum would've hypothetically (if this album was more electronic) been. The choral sections are beautiful. I believe this was really well done. But I kind of wish I heard this after listening to her other albums before this (only familiar with Post and Debut,) I just feel it would've made me appreciate this album. Highlight Song/s: "Pleasure Is All Mine" and "Who Is It(...)"

This was a mixed bag, there were some songs I really liked and some I really didn't like.

very experimental. there are so many layers happening and it often built a lot of suspense and unease. Her voice is so unique!

I had low expectations based on the cover. Even lower seeing it’s another electronic album. Hate the opening. Don’t need moaning in songs. I just don’t really like this song. Show me forgiveness is weird. Very interesting production on where is the line. Lyrics lack substance. I actually do like the vocals on vokuro. Idk what’s she’s saying but good voice. Production is fine. Lots of bad sounds on oll birtan. This song also sucks. Who is it is better. Whack beat but better vocals/lyrics. More weird breathing/moaning on submarine. Hate this song. Production as a whole is really lacking. Expected much more from an electronic record. Constellation is fine. Again lack lucter production but I like the vocals. This is the longest 45 min album of all time. Enough with eh fucking beat boxing man it’s so cringey and not good beats. Oceania sucks too. Beat didn’t suck on sonnets. Also not electronic at all. More moaning on ancestors nice. Another terrible song. Really cool beat on mouths cradle ruined again by unnecessary moaning. Not going to try to spell the last song. It’s more of the same. All in all, this was a trash album. No good productions. No substantial lyrics. I want my time back. .5/5 for trying.

vokuro música linda.

Starts out with Pleasure Is All Mine, and it must be, because I get no pleasure listening to this. It's strange light airy singing, and some...grunting? Show Me Forgiveness doesn't even have music, it's just weirdness through the whole thing. Oll Birtan is just her saying "han too too" over and over. Submarine is more weirdness. Ancestors has weird sex noises in it. Triumph Of A Heart has some crazy chicken singing through it. Who Is It is basically the only one I could call a real song. Thank god this is over. Best song: Who Is It

No thank you.

Weird but interesting

Moving and weird. I'm a fan. 3.75 rounded down to a 3.

her second best concept vice

The hell is this!?

Maneiro e criativo, mas provavelmente não ouvir de novo any time soon. Simpatizo bastante com a Björk mesmo não sendo o tipo de música que eu gosto de ouvir regularmente.

Pleasure Is All Mine Where Is the Line Who Is It Oceania Mouths Cradle Triumph of a Heart

Pleasure Is All Mine Where Is The Line Vokuro Submarine Oceania Midvikudags

Gets a bit too Björk-y towards the end, but up until then wonderfully deep and sweet and rapturous.

No reasonable person would classify the content of this album as "songs". But it was an experience and I might have enjoyed some of it.....

Bjork is very experimental but I just couldn't get on with this album.

Nothing but respect for Bjork and her ability to make the most outlandish concepts work

Highlight: Show Me Forgiveness. In a nutshell: “where is the line with you?” For Björk, no album concept is impossible. There is no line with her. It’s amazing that almost all of the album is vocal. Layers of atmospheric harmonies and beatboxing. Barely an instrument to be heard! As with all Björk albums, try to be patient. This is experimental art. A hard left turn from previous releases on the list. Overall: 5/10

Oooooo 2/5

A beautiful quixotic fantasy world dreamed up by our favorite cat lady. It transported me. Bjork ran so James Blake could walk.

I like some Bjork, but not this Bjork… I wanted to give this a higher rating because I appreciate the creative/artistic vision and risk taking, but wow, was it ever hard to listen to.

i know she's a genius i just couldn't enjoy listening. im so sorry

1001 albums, nothin' but Bjork. The third or perhaps fourth from the one-named Icelandic freakazoid, and this time, she's Bjork 2 Basics. Actually that's not true at all, but I wanted to say that. She's as weird as ever, and she has added a great deal of electronica to her winning formula. Bjork is not a casual listen. My evil music listening app of choice tends to play songs you enjoyed once, until you hate them, and much like the author of this list, it LOVES Bjork. A random Bjork song in the middle of tracks from The Mountain Goats and Suffocation doesn't tend to "hit" the way it does in the context of the full album, so I'm hoping I can enjoy her off-beat caterwauling. I am not in the mood for this today, and I don't think it's anywhere near Vespertine but... hold on it's still way better than most of this shit, by way of sheer eccentric brute force. Also the fly-boy beatboxing had me chuckling repeatedly. Some people are "weird" as in they don't like sports and have read a book, and some people are weird like beat boxing and tantric moaning through an electronica soundscape while wearing the ancient runes of your people and your mask is made of hair. Bjork you friggin nut, you did it again. See you crazy kids on the next B-Jork day. I'm sure there are yet more to come. Praise be to the 1001. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: This review brought to you by Mike Rowe Plastics. Do you need some uhh fuckin' plastic?? Called lil Mikey Rowe and he'll set you straight, or he'll slowly diminish your thinking ability until you are a malleable husk who cannot remember what the full use of your faculties felt like and you won't be able to explain it to anybody because of your reduced faculties, but you'll know it isn't quite the same. Mike Rowe Plastics, call us now, you big piece of shit.

Somehow didn’t mind that. 2.5 rounded up because at one point she sounded like the woman who falls over after stomping on the grapes.

Is that even music? I'm only halfway through, and Harness reckons it's going to get worse. FML.

Laryngeal

It was just too much, flirted with a one for bits near the end

Yeah, no, this is just grating.

Tough going , very tough.

Not an easy listen but fair play to a Bjork for trying something different at least.

Listening to Bjork is like scraping your fingernails against a blackboard - excruciating! If you persevere with this mess all the way to the end you are rewarded with Triumph Of A Heart which is the best track. Which is a bit like being given a paracetamol after getting a headache.

As always, fair play for Bjork and her inventiveness. It’s gentler on the ear in a sort of way than other offerings. Can’t say it makes me want to listen to it again mind, ‘Mouths cradle’ was the only song I actively liked.

While I respect what she tried to do with this album. It just isn't good.

Woof.

Not for me

Fantastisch

I have no idea what I'm listening to, but I like it alot.

Thank you, 1001 albums generator for the periodic reminder of why I don’t listen to Bjork

Pretentious as all Björk albums, but somehow even worse

If there was anyone I'd expect to make an experimental acapella album it would most definitely be Björk. Such a weird experience but I enjoyed it! Seriously impressive how close some of the vocals were to imitating synths or drums. Favourite tracks: Where Is The Line, Who Is It, Triumph Of A Heart 3.5/5

I actually like some Bjork songs from the 90’s. I absolutely hated this. It was a lot of noises, moaning, and bad singing. Everything was super slow and boring.

What a load of rubbish, wish I hadn't named my d&d character Bjork now.

I wish I liked this more as it is at times gorgeous. But there is too much searching for those beautiful moments to make it a round experience

La mina es una genia, se nota fácilmente. Eso no quita que después de un rato se me hace muy densa. Su otro disco, me gustó más que este.

Very challenging listen on the first go round but there's interesting nuggets in each song.

Hmm lite mer out there än vad jag var sugen på

Funky, cool

First Morrissey returned to the 1001 Albums list—and now Björk follows. She hasn’t been gone long, but I had started to wonder if her window to make an impact had passed. Her 2004 album Medúlla proved otherwise. My favourite track might be “Desired Constellation”—it’s so quiet and deeply melancholic. I also enjoyed “Show Me Forgiveness,” “Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right),” “Where Is the Line,” and “Triumph of a Heart.” That said, this is probably my least favourite Björk album overall. It didn’t quite connect with me. I tend to prefer her electronic work paired with her vocals, rather than the largely a cappella approach she takes here. While I can appreciate the creativity and ambition behind it, it’s not something I see myself revisiting often. 6.5/10.

I didn't really like it

Bjork is just not for me.

3 - good

There’s some fantastic tracks, but also some that I hate. So, my score is an average.

# Playlist Track - Show me forgiveness # Notes - I've just picked the shortest track for the playlist track. - Unique? Sure. Good? No way. - I respect the work and the experimentation and I'm sure this has and will influence artists to do all sorts of interesting things. But it's annoying and not that interesting to hear.

Look, Björk is great, pushes boundaries in fun and interesting ways, but this one's not for me dawg.

beatboxing puppy...

Interesting. Not exactly my thing.

women in electronica and alternative music!! I really enjoyed listening to this album, it felt like I was in an icelandic pool or beach. It was a very melodic and fun album to listen to! I enjoyed all of the songs even if some of them were out of my zone. Submarine and Vökuró!! Rating: 4/5 (13.04.2026)

Im a big Björk fan tbh, as big as a normy cn be anyway. But id say this is on the 'low end ' of her good material or 'high end' of her unlistenable material. Shes a true musical genius and a free spirit. I'll grant her the leeway to produce this type of art as she sees fit.

I don't think I would ever listen to this again, but it was really interesting to hear.

I did not expect to like this as much as I did. This is amazing. What a sonic treat. This might be Björk vocals at their most beautiful. I had no idea Mike Patton appeared on a Björk album. But I am not at all surprised it's as part of an ensemble of vocal magicians doing weird and interesting things. This is another album that I think requires headphones for the full experience. Every sensory receptor in your ear holes will be stimulated.

Certainly, an interesting album. Super unique. Absolute artistry. Is it for me? I'm not entirely sure, but it's kinda cool.

Demasiado indie para mi gusto, buena voz pero lento y ritmos raros. Me aburrio mucho y me saturó los oidos, no pude terminar de escucharlo.

El 90% de este disco son temones. Amo que sea todo beatbox y como canta la mina. Amo la bruja sexy vibe. 4,5⭐️

Well this one had a mission and it delivered 100%. Bjork is always a weird one and how can that not be charming? She does what she wants and it usually works out pretty well. This is no different. She wanted to go all out acapella and its maybe not 100% that but damn near everything here is. Lots of mouth sounds here. Beat boxing and just vocal stuff everywhere. Some electronic stuff tying it all together but its mostly vocal. Its pretty neat. Maybe not my favorite thing but I give it an A for effort for sure. Bjork has a nice voice unless she's trying to not have it. There is the one song where she's grunting and making monkey noises. Thats not my favorite but I get the idea. At this point ive heard 2 bjork albums and this isnt the one id pick but it still has alot going for it. Its a good concept and its pretty most of the time. I'll always be down for more of this ice lady's stylings

I've been into this record since it was released. It's a remarkable achievement given that it's primarily vocals only. There are some really complex, challenging arrangements here, so I can see why it doesn't gel with everyone, and that's okay. Favourite tracks: Pleasure Is All Mine, Where Is The Line (shout out to Rahzel), Vökuró (just gorgeous), Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right), Submarine, Desired Constellation, Oceania.

This album isn't an easy listen, I suppose, but damn, did I enjoy it! I'm surprised so many people here seem to have hated it—there's such a low tolerance for anything experimental or out of the ordinary. Bjork is a singular creative, and tried something ambitious and strange with Medulla, and I think she succeeded. The fact that the album is almost entirely made up of processed vocals is both apparent and surprising. Haunting, bizarre, driving, and one-of-a-kind.

My Medullary functions are intrigued. Weird tracks with weird sound effects and interesting lyrics (Björk's vocal ranges are pretty good) 3/6

It's very Björk. I kind of liked Who Is It and Triumph of a Heart.

Strange but pleasant. 3.6/5

I just don't love Bjork's music unfortunately. I've tried listening through this a few times and it just doesn't do anything for me. Some of her other albums I have listened to a bit and did enjoy, but none of them were favorites. I'm surprised Homogenic or Post aren't on this list. I thought they were way more popular, but reading through the reviews, it sounds like they're considered her more pop albums, so maybe the list is bucking against trends?

Not my taste

I prefer music with more going on instrumentally, but there were some beautiful moments on this.

We had a bjork. This is unnecessary

I think this process is a bit like Tracy Island on Thunderbirds. Dimery and his politburo are sitting in front of their massed computer screens, watching for any revisionist thought. I recently bagged Ms Bjork in reviewing some other dreadful record, and since then there's been an avalanche of Bjorkabilia. I'm going to stay a dissident refusnik, deviationist Trotskyist reactionary Dimery and your apparatchiks, damn you!

Bjork is a pop music genius and a true artist. She has a strong vision and works well with her carefully chosen collaborators who can fit to her creative process. Her approach to melody and expression is immediately identifiable; surprising and yet still catchy. On Medulla,she extends into some pretty esoteric space. You couldn't accuse her of phoning it in -- she is fully committed to the concept. But it often seems overly cerebral and occasionally untethered -- Ancestors is a particular example of where this comes off the rails. And it drags on. I can admire the thought and craft, but out stays its welcome. I strongly defend her artistic right to do whatever the hell she wants. But I personally can't keep up with this

Very odd and strange, like all of her other albums. She's got nice boobs, though.

Listen I like beatbox, that being said just because you can doesn’t mean you should. This album sounds like crap, like it’s done in someone’s basement. it’s just you can tell it’s somebody beatboxing in the background it’s not even good beatbox it’s like really really low level. It’s just so distracting it’s just like it is that kid doing that in the background like did you just find someone on the street. It’s hard to take this album seriously or even enjoy it when it just sounds so stupid

I can't say I enjoyed this, but I deeply appreciate how honest it sounds and feels. This is an experience.

# Album Name: Medúlla # Artist: Bjork # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Great vocals as always but this one just didnt click for me. Large parts of the album werent great. # Top Tunes: Where is the line / Who is it / Triumph of a heart # Would I listen to it again? No

Didn't finish it was painful