Medúlla

“Medúlla received critical acclaim from music critics, with many calling it ‘unique’, although others deemed it ‘confusing’.” (Wikipedia) This quote sums up the album pretty well: it’s very weird and it left me confused in the end, but the production was awesome and the songs are by no means bad. The unique concept kicks it up a notch.

De Björk me encantaron sus discos de los 90. Luego perdí el interés. Pues no me ha interesado. Prescindible en mi opinión.

Bjork not my jam.

Some very interesting vocal experiments on here, but it's not something I'd listen to often. It's also not one I'd recommend to someone who doesn't already like Bjork. Not sure why this was picked over Vespertine and Homogenic. But I guess it does get some extra points for being unique.

This isn't something I'd return to frequently, and is outside my usual stomping grounds, but it's really captivating. I've never really heard anything else that sounds like this and is engaging to listen to, which seems all you can want from a concept piece like this one.

2.5

Wat een *Insert Haags Scheldwoord* muziek. De tandjes, gwn niet naar te luisteren. Geen melodie, geen ritme, kak stem. Hoe kunnen er meerdere albums van deze artiest in staan? Had dr lekker op dat eiland gelaten daar en nooit van af laten komen. Mijn god. 1 ster is al te veel. En dan ben ik pas halverwege het album. Who Is It is dan nog wel redelijk.. Eindelijk afgelope, wat een bagger

It's all vocal sounds only? Fascinating. I enjoyed it, it was very experimental and odd. Definitely thoughtful art rather than a quick fun listen in the background.

I appreciate the idea: an album exclusively made with the human voice. While a couple songs were pretty solid, this album didn't draw me in and keep me interested.

Eeeeeeverythiiiing isss muuuuuusiiiic!

Det kan let vokse på mig. Hørte første halvdel med headset. Tydeligt at mærke at det er produceret med sans for detaljer. De flød lidt ud da jeg var nød til at lytte på højtalere senere. Jeg har ikke hørt Björk synge på Islands før, dét var ret fortryllende.

Der er et eller andet dragende ved Björks vokal. Den er ikke klassisk smuk, og hendes udtale bærer tydeligt præg af at engelsk ikke er hendes modersmål. Men på en eller anden måde gør det bare den mere spændende. Det er ikke de mest fængende sange hun har komponeret, men som et aktivt lyt kan det noget. Som baggrundsmusik bliver det ligegyldigt.

Horrendous

ancestors scared me to death... I have to admit it's interesting, but what an effort — I guess it's not something you can listen to in the car.

Not easy listening for sure, but absolutely worth the effort. Mouth's Cradle was amazing, and I really loved Triumph Of A Heart too.

Overall a decent album. The vocals and production around them sounded ethereal. No one track really stood out and would be in my daily rotation but I could listen to this album and enjoy it every now and then.

Truly a unique artist, nobody is like her. 5 albums deep and managed to come up with such a bizarre concept as this, and pull it off.

If we're being honest, Bjork is boring and too weird 95% of the time. When she nails it, she nails it, but this album isn't it.

The displeasure is all mine. This list has made me learn a few things about what music I enjoy and what music I don’t care for. Now I know that Björk is an artist I can’t stand. I do appreciate that she tries something new but I don’t appreciate how much I hate it. If singing slowly and powerfully about stupid shit in an avant-garde manner is your thing, then this is the album for you. If you like melody, rhythm and pleasurable harmonies, then you won’t care for this album because it doesn’t have any.

Really cool, interesting, wouldn’t hurry to listen again to every song. Reminded me of Radiohead, but with better stories? But the songs weren’t as gripping. Very unique

The more I listen the better it gets. I've always always always loved her voice, but this album is a bit of a challenge at times. Always up for some experimentation. It doesn't always pay off but I'm here for it warts and all. Gave this quite a few listens and heard new things every time. Can't review this in a single day. Bjork works on a different plane to us mortals.

I'm just not into Bjork, I wish I liked her because she's very cool but it's just not my thing

Well it’s not boring, but I don’t get it. Some great moments but it gets just too plain fucking weird for its own good.

Around the quality of a 3 but I’ll give it an extra star cause I enjoyed it. That being said this is most likely her worst on the list

I liked this quite a bit. Didn't feel gimmicky or anything, really compelling. Helps that her voice is amazing

Very weird.

Wow! I was not expecting this, I’ve never heard anything like this before! While it’s easy to shit on some albums on this list as ones you don’t need to hear (Especially since I had Hotel California yesterday). This is definitely one I’m happy I listened to.

Definitely unique, that's for sure. Impressive creativity, a good experience hearing something so different than the mainstream, though a challenge due to its oddity. This is also my first exposure to Bjork, I think have more instruments. Sounded like almost every sound on this on was vocals.

Da muemer innere spezielle Stimmig sii, zum das lose. Kreativität und Einzigartigkeit top.

erste song hani eaaasy geils arrangement vode vocals gfunde. hetmer fr fr gfalle. zweite song meh. dritte song easy weird mit beatbox und so aber irgendwie huuuere geil? slappt no? vokuro huuuere schöne chor. woaaa. und isch uf isländisch ööh. oll birtan goht etz au no hard. scho sehr speziell. aber ich bi gad easy drin. who is it. bitz nervige veatbox beat aber sie het etz halt nur stimme wölle uf dem album glaub. jo beatbox nöd miis aber dass e throat sängerin us victoria island druf isch goht so hard kanadischi inuks (ich glaub sie heissed so) so faszinierend. sie chilled afoch i dene insle obe. submarine checki null und d schnuufer findi bitz unagnehm aber scho auno geil irgendwie mit dududududud shit und so sie mached afoch so blubbere. desired constellation au no nice, sehr hypnotisch gad chli vergesse dasi am lose bin. ancestors isch seeeehr streng. uf mouth cradle stört mich ihri art zum singe wieder bitz. triumph of a heart scho au wieder recht cool, ich wür glaub alles nöd nomol lose aber es isch uuuhuere interessant.

ok bin ja mal gspannt hahaha ja es ischo seehr speziell, na komischer als s andere album HAHAHAHA de beatboxer😭 geg de schluss wo sies immer wiederholt findi het na öppis? damn mehreri nr. 1 spots, scho crazy okay, de beatboxer isch chli weniger uffällig desired constellation findi seehr krass das hyperventiliere im hindergrund findi scho seeehr speziell aber iwie na cool? mouths cradle hani jz doch sehr ahstrengend gfunde hahaha HAHAHAHAHA TRIUMPH OF A HEART ISCH JA MEGA COOL jaaa als excperience cool. wird ichs nomal welle lose? weniger

Björk presents 𝘔𝘦𝘥ú𝘭𝘭𝘢 — an album made entirely from the human voice — featuring throat singing, beatboxing, choirs, whispers, and everything in between. It’s bold, raw, and intimate, stripping music down to its most primal element: breath and voice. What could have easily been a conceptual gimmick becomes something deeply emotional and otherworldly. Björk doesn’t just experiment — she 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 a sonic world that feels ancient and futuristic at once. Tracks like 𝘝ö𝘬𝘶𝘳ó, 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢, and 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘐𝘴 𝘐𝘵 offer moments of haunting beauty, while 𝘈𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 plunges into the edge of vocal abstraction. 𝘔𝘦𝘥ú𝘭𝘭𝘢 isn’t an easy listen, but it’s a fearless one. It’s music at its most elemental — and yet more advanced than what most artists dare to attempt. A masterpiece of human expression and sonic imagination.

Not one for me!

Possibly my favorite Bjork album.

I wish I could say, I loved this record, but oh man, it wore me down. These avant garde singers/albums are just not my vibe. I'm sure if I were depressed or in a vulnerable position, I'd love it, but I'm not.

I want to love it because it's Bjork. And there are some great songs here. But this one's a bit too avant garde for my tastes.

Bjork doing her thing … I liked it 👍

I generally don't care much for Bjork. I love her few songs in the movie Dancer in the Dark, but her albums never kept my attention. Until this one. The voicework is brilliant and innovative, the melodies can be followed while remaining complex. The influence from some of the best choral work is clear. Love it. 4.5/5

Say whatever you want, but this is genious and weird and beautiful, so as every album of hers.

Such a weird way to start the morning during my walk. Did not enjoy this album at all, I have never listened to Bjork before so was excited to give her a try. Was not a great start, but if any of her other albums come up I’ll give them a try

Unmemorable, I barely remember anything. Some was bad, some was good, all was nothing

As the album cover would suggest, this shit is just weird as hell. Like what did I even just listen to?

I finally found an album tag actually let me use my ap music theory knowledge. Its experimental and wierd but really its just a choir album sounds all round pretty good.

I respect it, but wouldn't listen again

I admit my hear sank a little when the second Bjork album in less than a week showed up but Medúlla was a surprise. I enjoyed this. It is a largely vocal album with Bjork multitracked and accompanied by choirs, beatboxers (thankfully on just enough i.e. few occasions) and, somewhere amongst this, the likes of Mike Patton and Robert Wyatt. The instrumentation is light, limited for the most part to beats and sub-bass. The songs display influences from European classical, choral, music and pagan chanting - there is even some throat singing in there. I am not familiar with Bjork's catalogue an, while this is not going to be on regular rotation, I did like it and will listen again. And perhaps I will be less reluctant should another Bjork album show up. But not this week...

Well, since it’s necessary to say it again, I don’t enjoy Björk. She’s the most pretentious of all the pretentious artists. Not saying she’s trying to be. Just is. Unlistenable, yet incredibly innovative and original at every turn. Can’t stand it. 2/5

bizarro

Can't listen to Björk without being filled with rage because of that travesty of a musical Dancer in the Dark. Such is the power of Lars von Trier.

In the words of my other half - I rapidly grow tired of this pagan poetry.

I like Björk, but honestly this album was just a little too weird for me to really enjoy. It never really got into a rhythm, and never drew me in. People who like weird artsy vocals probably love this album.

1.5 - Bad

Bjork really isn’t for me, but I actually quite enjoyed this… until it got towards the end. The last half of the album reminds me of everything I dislike about Bjork, but the first half had some really lovely songs. Really stuck on what to rate this because a 2 seems kind of harsh for the first half of the album but a little generous for the latter. A 2.5 would be perfect, but I think I have to round up this time. Even the parts I didn’t like I still preferred to other Bjork albums.

Not a huge fan

The people who sit back and actually choose to listen this are very interesting people to me.

Second Bjork album to appear on this list if memory serves me…Iceland should be very proud.

Love her voice, but prefer earlier releases, they have much more music on then. This one is mostly acapella-beatboxing, which is beautiful, still not relistenable at all.

spennende

Il concept è il migliore tra gli album di Björk. Aveva partorito da poco e si sentiva così legata a una nuova vita, così umana che ha deciso di abbandonare il computer e fare tutto con le voci. Bellissimo. Tra i suoi album è quello con più alti e bassi secondo me, ha i suoi capolavori e poi ci sono Ancestors e Submarine…

A light four. I like it less than the last Bjork album I got but I find the middle chunk of songs seriously impressive. Thought it was no where near as inaccessible and weird as a lot of people say about her music. It’s still very melodic.

Not for me at all. She makes me anxious and irritable while listening to her music. I can't put my finger on why, but it makes me very uncomfortable trying to listen this album.

Fractionné et éthéré

Honestly some vibes tunes in here, but with the sex noises and scary tunes... Not for me

What the hell is this??? The first time, I was so confused. Sounded like she was having an exorcist. 🤣 I had to play this a couple of times. This is so unique. I enjoyed this one. Call me crazy, but I am giving it five stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

weird and ethereal. i think that this might be the soundtrack for a patient at a mental institution.

I like some Björk songs but I don’t think any of these are going to be included in that group.

I was really excited for this album to come out because I knew Rahzel and Mike Patton were going to be on it, so I went out and bought it the very day it was released. Honestly, from the first listen, it never quite connected with me. I gave it countless spins, hoping I’d eventually get used to it, because I genuinely wanted to love this album. Despite my efforts, I ended up giving up, and over the years, I’ve revisited it a few times, but it still feels the same as it did that first day, which was disappointing and unrelatable.

A wild, discordant, and innovative a cappella prance. It’s remarkable where they take it and what they’re not afraid to do. She definitely is a singular artist. There aren’t two Bjorks around.

I dug this album and the vibes of Björk! Overall, I enjoyed this listen but I feel like I would need to give it a few more listens for it to grow on me. I would recommend this to others if you are looking to spice up your range of music that you listen to.

I did not really like it. But I must admit it is very creative. Therefore a 3.

Experimental, difficult, minimalist, raw... Bjork is definitely not for everyone, I like her other albums more.

Un viaje de drogas, pero malo. Entiendo lo adelantado que estuvo, siendo que si le pones una linea de batería programada sería una canción de hoy o en algunos casos podría ser parte de un soundtrack de un material medieval. Pero la verdad que no es de mi gusto y estoy lejos de poder disfrutar algo así.

Jävligt konstigt, men kan inte låta bli att tycka att det är jävligt bra också. Öppningsspåret träffade rätt in i själen!

Det känns spännade i kroppen när man lyssnade på den

Inge kul

I am just not a Bjork fan. This album was all over the place. I gave it a solid listen, but really just could not get into it.

I really tried hard to like this one because I love Bjork. But it was just too scattered for me.

I'm not 100% sure what to make of this one. I think I really liked it lol not sure why though. Good job I think

I enjoyed this a lot more than the last Bjork album. What a wild sound, the woman is crazy, in a good way!

Pretty good. But not my favorite Björk album. I kinda like how she incorporates electronic into her songs, and she was mostly a capella here.

It's not bad. I don't find it particularly challenging like others have. It's really well put together for what it is. But it's also not THAT exciting. Bjork's output, if nothing else, always remains interesting.

Konzeptionell interessantes Album mit sehr guten Ideen.

warbling.

Obscure but cool

Björk is super talented. I like her music okay.

Typical Bjork weirdness, included some interesting a-capella-type stuff

i was in bed listening to this on headphones and wow. what a fantastic album! it’s incredibly cool what the human voice is capable of. i have thoroughly enjoyed this. “vokuro” is my favourite song and it completely took me by surprise and made me cry. it felt so emotional! second favourite track is “desired constellation”. i am still very new to björk’s music but this has made me appreciate her voice so much. i honestly don’t understand why this is rated so low by people. open up your mind! this is absolutely a 5 to me.

Uhhh. I don’t know what I’m hearing. Weird

1.5

Bjork is a visionary but I can’t see myself reaching out for this album for enjoyment that often.

Very artsy Dont love the strained voice it's a lot even if i like the style and artsiness but yea cant help it ig

Åh jag var verkligen inte taggad på detta. Jag vet att hon har andra album som jag varit taggad på dock!!!

Hier geht es mir ähnlich wie mit Nick Cave. Hatte schon Mal versucht mich in Björks Musik reinzufinden und bin gescheitert. Die erste Hälfte dieses Albums hat mir extrem gut gefallen. Ich weiß nicht ob es eventuell besser als EP funktioniert hätte aber mittlerweile bin ich den A Cappella Sounds Müde

Brilliant - so different. I really enjoyed this, working through the layers with repeated listenings. I will definitely come back to this. I am glad that there is a Bjork in this world

An interesting but not my type of album. I enjoyed the listen though.

Almost entirely a capella, this album is certainly a listening experience. Just not one i think id ever subject myself to again.

Always interesting

I'm not feeling this one as much as other Bjork releases I've listened to. Not bad, but not compelling.

This is pretty rough. I respect the unique idea and experimentation, but this just falls flat for me. It comes off as a total novelty.

gentle and lovely, but not for everyone. Oddly, the live album is significantly better than the original. 2

I can understand why people don't like this; it's definitely not designed to appeal to everyone. That is why I love this app....it makes me listen to stuff I wouldn't normally listen to and even if I hate it, at least I've given it a try. Sometimes I don't like the music, but can appreciate the genius of the artist....sometimes I just think the music is average or below average for that genre. On a personal level, I would rather listen to something challenging or different that doesn't quite hit the mark, than listen to generic bland music....but wouldn't the world be dull if we all had the same taste? However, I LOVE Bjork and so this was an easy 5 for me.

Pretty good! I like her music. Can't say I'd listen to it often.

When I was in high school, some of my friends who were mostly into heavier rock like Deftones or System of a Down, were inexplicably obsessed with Bjork. I couldn't stand it. I thought it was terrible music and hated every second of them playing anything by Bjork. Fast forward 25 years, my tastes have changed. Perhaps I was wrong about Bjork and she was the immensely talented musician my dear friends thought she was. I made it two and a half songs. I am now convinced that my friends only pretended to like Bjork because she was alternative and weird. She was artsy and unique. And, I think they thought she was hot. The reality is, this IS art. It IS unique. But that doesn't make it good. Bjork is the equivalent of walking into a modern art museum and seeing an exhibit of a looping video with a man smoking a cigarette. Ok, maybe that's art, and maybe the artist had some sort of meaning for it. But, why the hell is it in a museum? Let's stop pretending Bjork is a good musician. This album is unlistenable.

Not quite in the top 3 Bjork albums for me, but still endlessly creative and interesting to listen to, with a couple songs that are some of my favorites across the entire discography.

Super cool album. Lots to like here, the weak points were pretty low for me. I’d listen to this again, but doesn’t feel essential to me. Bjork has won me over though, between this and “Debut”

not my type of shtuff, some areas were good, others I just don't felt like hearing tbh

I love Björk as a Person. But this is not my cup of tea tbh. (2.0/5.0)

Pretentious, eccentric bullshit. No thank you.

Really really difficult listen. One thing is to not vibe with a track and another is when you are compelled to skip many.

Björk, not a big fan...album wasn't even on list of essential Björk album...read some reviews and was really mentally prepared for the worse...But what a great album!!! Truly unique, had for me a "sacred feeling"...LOVED IT!

Liked it.

i like this a lot, it’s probably not my favorite bjork album but i love the concept and reading into the process of how she made it and her intention behind it of trying to return to the way she used to live prior to her fame. 4/5

Absolutely awful and unlistenable. An album for critics rather than listeners.

I’m honestly not really sure what the fuck I just listened to.

You have to be a fan of Björk to like this album. I'm not a fan. I think it's really shit. 1/5

First 2 tracks are mostly a capella, Björk alone singing in her slightly strange way. Third track starts the same way before we get her brand of weird backing music. I like that Vokuro and other tracks are in Icelandic. This wasn't good, but it was different and unusual, which are things I appreciate a lot from albums on this list.

Got to be good

Malo je manje grozno nego što sam očekivala kad sam vidjela da danas slušam a capella Bjork album. Ne znači da je naročito podnošljivo ali nije ni najgora stvar u historiji muzike.

Nope. I’m sure she’s talented; but she must have left that talent at home when she recorded this.

I could not get my AirPods out of my ears fast enough for this album. I’m not sure what all the fuss was about.

I do like some Bjork. But "Post" is in my opinion the far greater album.

Really interesting, ambitious, and impressive; it's just that I don't necessarily want to listen to all of it in one swoop. I find 'Who Is It?' particularly spine-tingling. Ultimately, acapella won't be for everyone even if it can be admired more than enjoyed.

Nordic beat boxing? But it would crush the soul and mind

alta mierda

The voice is a human instrument, perhaps the most important of them all. People have often understood its usage but only some can truly understand its hidden potential. Björk most certainly saw to that with Medúlla, a left turn that could rival her most celebrated left turns. As always, Björk will never settle for complacency and will do whatever she can to challenge herself whilst knowing that her audience will still be there anyway. Medúlla, probably her most underrated record, can either confound or complicate one's expectations yet respect is a given. Favorites: Pleasure is All Mine, Where is the Line, Vokuro, Oll Birtan, Who Is It, Submarine, Oceania, Ancestors, Triumphs of a Heart.

A very interesting album but not one I'll ever listen to again. Too avant-garde for my taste but I can see why some people might appreciate this. Also not a huge fan of her voice.

Omanlaisensa äänimaailma, mutta se on minusta Björkillä aina sama. Ainoastaan Who is it kuulostaa biisiltä. Ihan kiinnostavia sanoituksia kyllä.

Björk onnistuu luomaan tekotaiteesta oman taiteenlajinsa: mitä kiemuraisempi biisi, sitä syvällisemmältä vaikuttaa kiemuroiden alle piiloutuva substanssi. Tämä ratkaisu ei puhuttele minua lainkaan esteettisellä, älyllisellä saati musiikillisella tasolla. Ei nappaa - päinvastoin. Mutta älä anna sen häiritä omaa kietoutumistasi.

It's a bit much. On her older albums the wailing voice was kind of a novelty and something that she used carefully. This album features heavy use of that voice and it gets old pretty quickly. It's fun if there is a touch sprinkled here and there but overuse is tiresome. The cover photo is pretty cool though.

Better than I expected going into it. Some all-time bjork tracks with some rubbish/uninteresting tracks mixed in there. The highlights would be better if she just used a drum machine instead of the a cappella/beatbox stuff going on here.

An amazing album. This is going to follow me hereafter.

I didn't have the most enjoyable time listening to this, couple of songs are ok but mostly this is like watching a fashion show - I don't get it and it's not for me. And I actually have enjoyed some of Bjork's work in the past but overall this was not my cup of tea.

Now, a 3-star rating looks pretty boring. And usually, the albums I end up giving this rating to are boring indeed. Easy and decently pleasant to listen to, but ultimately rather uneventful and forgettable. This one however is the exact opposite of that, so I feel obliged to add some further context. For the longest time I'd have claimed that I despised a capella music. This genre that refused to make use of the vast variety of beautiful instruments at our disposal, to instead vocalize a caricature of what could have been a plethora of more melodious, more beautiful sounds. I still didn't really like it here, and most of these songs would be more enjoyable if they had richer instrumentals. But it certainly was one of the most interesting and memorable albums I've encountered on this list so far, and it expanded my understanding of what can be done with basically just vocals alone. That being said, most of these songs were fairly egregious to listen to, and I won't revisit those again; however, some of them were actually really nice. I can't rate this much higher because I probably wouldn't want to listen to this album again, but I won't rate it any lower because I sure am glad that I listened to it once.

Bjork s music walks a very fine line between brilliance and shit. It's very really average Unfortunately this album while having a few moments of brilliance is mostly shit It's a pity as when it's good is good

Een avant-garde acapella album met de beste keelzangers, hijgers en kreuners uit IJsland? Ik ben geneigd om Björk bij veel projecten groen licht te geven, maar deze - hoe erg ik ook respecteer hoe ze haar eigen unieke niche elke keer weer weet te vinden - vermijd ik voortaan. Ik weet altijd wel iets aangenaams, of in ieder geval iets enorm inspirerends, uit haar muziekprojecten te halen, maar voor 'Medulla' heb ik te weinig artistiek gogme, denk ik. 5,5/10 (Ik heb te veel respect voor haar om een onvoldoende uit te delen, ook al was het bij tijd en wijle een kwelling om aan te horen)

Van sommige nummers van Björk houd ik erg. Maar niet alles slaat altijd goed aan, zeker niet als je een experimenteel stijltje hebt. Eigenlijk de eerste tonen was het duidelijk dat Medúlla me niet echt zou gaan verrassen. Gelukkig verwacht ik nog wel wat meer Björk in deze lijst. 6/10

Another old friend. Finally got to see her tour with this album. This woman is a genius on another level.

I will say this was an interesting experiment: try to make the entire album of vocals. I will also say that some of the beatboxing was a little too much to the foreground, which made me frustrated. I wanted to hear the vocals, but the beatboxing felt like it drowned it out. One of the things to make an album 5 stars is its "re-listenability," would you listen to this over and over again? And I can safely say I would not. I didn't think it was terrible, it was an interesting experiment, and I think Björk pulled it off. It's just not something I would come back to. Top tracks: "Pleasure Is All Mine," "Where Is The Line," "Trimuph Of A Heart"

Strange, even for Bjork. I found the contorted vocals annoying even though I know she was going for stripped down instrumental and tonal variety through vocals. I mean, just listen to Ancestors. WTF? I listened to it twice to try and see if it would grow on me. Not really.

Björk is weird, and this one is weird for Björk, but it did reward closer listen. I'd call it a 3.5, but the "too weird" penalty is going to bring it down to a 3. Favorite tracks: Where Is The Line (cool dark sound), Vökuró, Who Is It, Desired Constellation, Sonnets / Unrealities XI (really for the lyrics - a powerful poem by e.e. cummings - but the music suits the lyrics). Really didn't like Ancestors and the jury's out on Oceania. Finally, Submarine is weird and includes Robert Wyatt. But I repeat myself?

Bjork was always different and while I appreciate a non standard album this just didn’t work for me. I’m glad there are artists doing this kind of weird shit though!!!

This was better than other bjork stuff I’ve heard so far but still wouldn’t listen to again

I’m confused. I can make myself like it, but should I? Well the album encouraged me to think hard, 3 star.

I liked the songs that have music in the background. Not sure I needed 9 versions of the other stuff though.

I did like this album than the previous one. I wouldn’t say I understood Björk any better, but this one had a few more tracks that I could jam out to and enjoyed. I listened to this on a 45 minute car ride and it was actually a decent setting for that. That being said, I did laugh out loud Triumph of a Heart came on, because it sounded so out of place from the rest of the album. That was fun

I like the a capella / pop style in general. Some of the stuff was too weird for me but Triumph of a Heart is an absolute banger.

Brutal

Same as Bowie. Probably extra harsh, but it’s a chore to listen to.

Definitely not a Björk fan, and scared of what two of her albums in less than a week will do to my Spotify Wrapped. I can appreciate the vocal skill and talent that Björk has and in the background vocalists, but that’s really about it. Somewhat intriguing to listen to, but I don’t need to listen to it again. Kinda want to give this a two to keep Nick Cave as my least liked artist, but I can’t make myself do it.

Nope, I still don't like Björk.

2.5 stars

I rarely choose to put on a bjork album but every time I do it’s a nice time.

Im sorry but I will never understand the hype around her. No amount of listening will get me to like her, and both her voice and style are something I will never get behind. This was painful and I hate her voice Im so sorry. If I never had to listen to her again I would be happy.

Wow there's a lot of Bjork on this list. While I do enjoy her vocals and massively appreciate her unconventional approach to music and songcraft, this album is tougher - I don't necessarily dislike it, but it's virtually *all* vocals and vocal effects, etc. and.... it feels like once a week I say I don't pay much attention to vocals which is true but even with one of the few vocalists that I enjoy listening to it's just a lot to take in. I'd bet this could be some Bjork fans' favourite just because it feels "meta-Bjork" but it's maybe an acquired taste. Major credit for the creativity and unique style (as always) but I'm going for her other albums first. 5/10 3 stars.

I've always thought Björk was overrated. I don't think this album changes my mind. Lots of wailing and vocalizing. Even when there are lyrics, there is lots of wailing and vocalizing.

bönk has much better albums

Never listened to this before. Was interesting and atmospheric, but not as accessible/fun as her earlier stuff. More Sigur Rós than Sugarcubes, I guess.

In general I'm good with Bjork...this album doesn't do it for me though. Too out there. 1/5

This was horrible but it’s a very cool concept

Hell yeah~! More Björk. This is nowhere near unlistenable to me, but I guess tastes differ haha.

Bjork being Bjork. This album is great. Seems like not her best, but it's really good.

Too out there for me.

Two days ago the 1001 Gods selected Ys by Joanna Newsom which is one of my favourite albums. I said then that she was a phenomenon all on her own and nothing else matched her. But then I was forgetting about Bjork who like Joanna Newsom has a sound all of her own. Don’t think I’ve ever sat down before to listen to this album. Like a lot of her stuff quite a lot of the tracks are instantly accessible but one or two do leave you thinking what the hell was that about? But I like that challenging sound and appreciate how hard Bjork has worked to produce her unique sound. Didn’t get around to listening until late at night which as it happens is probably the best time to do so. Certainly not an album for the school run or titivating oneself up before a night on the beer. Like most Bjork albums another one to file under “must listen repeatedly and critically to understand it” section. Which I hope to do one day but which I suspect is futile as Bjork does not want it that way. Doing so would also mean seeing a glimpse of what’s inside her head and I don’t think I really want to go there. 4/5 7/3/25

"The Pleasure Is Not Mine" The number of voices that Björk has brought together is certainly impressive, but for me the entire work, the album, is a waste of time. For me the album has something "old" about it. In German there is the expression "Old Music", but I think of music from antiquity, perhaps up to the Renaissance. But maybe that's just me. I can definitely get something out of this music. I absolutely love lute music, flutes and voices. But something is missing here, I think it's structure and cohesion. But what really bothers me is the "beatboxing", it's just awful. Anyway, "Medulla" is a great album title and I like the artwork too. For me the music doesn't reach the core and the depth, it bounces off somewhere. Interesting attempt, I'm very torn. With a lot of goodwill, 3 stars.

Bjork is always an interesting listen. Maybe not the most groundbreaking artist, but she definitely knows how to command your attention.

a fascinating album from the enigmatic Bjork. Dense, layered vocals featuring Bjork's unique style, beautiful choral effects and little other instrumentation besides electronic percussion. The vocal layering and Bjork's unique phrasing makes for a statement that completes ignores commerciality to explore this unique artist's vision. Not an easy listen but ultimately I am coming to appreciate its artistry. More listening required 3.5 stars

Technically, impressive and worth listening to, but at least on first listening I was not actually moved.

I would call this experimental sound art. I like a lot of music by Bjork...but not this. Kind of interesting, but also largely unpleasant. Experimental and weird, but not sure about influential.

This is a truly impressive work of art but not necessarily enjoyable to listen to. I'll take Army of Me any day, but I'm kind of lowbrow.

YOU. ANT MAKW ME KISTEN TO BIORK I WONT DO IT

Fine but not my bag

I find this music quite annoying. It's more talking and changing the tone of the voice instead of singing. And then it's very cacophonous as well (in a bad way), but I probably just don't get it...

There was maybe one or two listenable songs on this record. While yes, it is cool to do a vocal only album, this absolutely does not work. It is obnoxious to get through from beginning to end.

If there’s one thing you can always count on from Björk, it’s that she’ll never take the easy route. Medúlla is one of her most fascinatingly bizarre albums—an almost entirely vocal-driven experiment where the usual lush instrumentation is stripped away in favor of layered human voices, beatboxing, and choral arrangements. The result is an album that feels primal, futuristic, and at times, downright unsettling. Tracks like Where Is the Line and Mouth’s Cradle push the boundaries of what a song even is, while Who Is It and Triumph of a Heart bring in enough structure to keep things from feeling completely unhinged. It’s weird, challenging, and often beautiful, but definitely not an easy listen. The genius of Medúlla is in its textures—Björk turns voices into rhythm, harmony, and even noise, creating an album that feels both deeply human and strangely alien. At times, though, it can feel more like an art project than a fully realized album. The absence of traditional instruments makes some moments feel hollow, and while the vocal experimentation is impressive, it can also be overwhelming, like listening to an avant-garde a cappella group trapped in an echo chamber. It’s ambitious, but not always something you want to put on. Still, you have to admire the sheer audacity of Medúlla. It’s not Björk’s most accessible work, but it might be one of her most daring. It’s an album that sounds like it was made in a world where instruments don’t exist—just voices, breath, and raw emotion. Whether that makes it a masterpiece or a fascinating misstep depends entirely on how much you’re willing to let Björk drag you into her strange, otherworldly vision.

A seminal work, one of Björk most difficult records. Despite being a huge fan of her work, this used to be the one album I did not return to as often, but eventually it clicked. I remember watching Björk perform "Oceania" at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens when I was a kid and at the time I didn't like at all. Of course that completely changed a few years later. Here, Björk strips music down to its primal origins, with arrangements that consist only of voices and vocal samples, and employing a whole host of famous or soon-to-be-famous collaborators such as Mike Patton, Rahzel, Robert Wyatt, Tanya Tagaq, and some japanese weirdo called Dokaka. While I don't think this album is as essential as Homogenic or Post (both not on the list), this is when Björk began veering more and more into abstract territories, effectively leaving pop sensibilities behind for the avant-garde. Key tracks: Pleasure Is All Mine Where Is the Line Who Is It Oceania Mouth's Cradle Triumph of a Heart

I love the fact that my journey with Bjork so far on this project has been in order. First with the Sugarcubes, then to her first solo album, then a later solo album, and now this. Each album has been slightly worse than the one before I'm afraid; I started with 5 stars, but I'm finishing with 2 stars. This reminded me a lot of why I don't like Kate Bush's later albums. It just doesn't do anything for me and I don't see any reason to listen to it.

Ok

Really cool and innovative but if I’m being honest, I don’t really connect with it. Triumph of a Heart almost pushed me to give this an extra star though cause that’s a solid beat.

As I said already, my flavor of weird

Don’t ask me to explain this because I can’t: Fiona Apple, but as a space robot?

This ain’t it I appreciate the level of artistic integrity here, but I will not be returning to this

Impressively technical but also incredibly lush and alive. Amazing.

*A satanic sounding album. All tracks sound alike.

Schon okay, aber mir irgendwie zu kryptisch

Couldn't get through it sorry Bjork

I love Bjork. But I've heard Medulla before, and I didn't love it then, and I don't love it now. I admire it. It's a remarkable work of art that I feel nothing about.

Ok, let's think about this for a moment: pop music's most preeminent avant-garde artist made an entirely acapella album? That features some near-unbelievable classical harmonies from a whole choir of similarly ethereal voices? And it's got a member of the Roots doing beatboxing throughout the album? And somehow Bjork doesn't sacrifice her songwriting abilities for a second on this album? Well, I'd love to give it a 4, as a human being who's heard Post and Homogenic before, but I'm not grading on a curve!! Fuck it, it's possible only worthwhile acapella album ever made deserves a 5 too:

Her voice is the instrument.

I wanted to give this a 1 for most of its runtime but by the end I kinda figured out what it was going for

It sure is something.

Not a fan, but maybe I should listen more

I was suffering listening this album. You know one some - you now while album.

mé

Björk is good in small doses. A whole album can be a bit much but I made it through.

Huge respect for this lady but she irritates me a lot.

For the first few songs, the music really excited me. Björk creates a unique sound world almost entirely with her voice. Sadly, the style didn’t really change throughout the album, and it became a bit boring to me.

Sounds like a recording of Icelandic whales in distress.

I don’t like Bjork

Björk - Medúlla Really interesting album, yet it sounds really beautiful. I like the fact that Björk went all for it and experimented a lot of new sounds all throughout this album, mostly using voices, acapella and beat-boxing. It surprised me how out of this world this album sounded despite the fact it was just a bunch of people singing at different frequencies and tones, the fact that they barely or haven't used any instruments to this is incredible. This is great! 1.- Pleasure Is All Mine = 9/10 2.- Show Me Forgiveness = 6/10 3.- Where Is The Line = 10/10 4.- Vokuro = 8/10 5.- Oll Birtan = 6/10 6.- Who Is It (Carry My Joy On The Left, Carry My Pain On The Right) = 9/10 7.- Submarine = 8/10 8.- Desired Constellation = 7/10 9.- Oceania = 9/10 10.- Sonnets / Unrealities XI = 7/10 11.- Ancestors = 8/10 12.- Mouths Cradle = 10/10 13.- Midvikudags = 6/10 14.- Triumph Of A Heart = 8/10 FINAL SCORE 8/10

Easily her best work

Какой-то сумасшедший дом

Dogshit

2.6

Hauntingly beautiful. Felt like I should've listened to well after dark. Last track lost the haunting aspect. Still beautiful voice and sound cool, but haunting doesn't apply

yes sss bjork my goat. this list needs more albums like this, actually interesting and unique stuff that bangs

Bjork has a reputation (unfairly, I'd argue) for making music that's too weird. So I imagine that the idea of an a capella album from her will make more than a handful of people groan. If that's you, I'd urge you to put aside your preconceived notions and listen with an open mind. Because this a really fascinating album and quite unlike anything else out there. To start with, calling this an a capella album is extremely misleading. True, there are almost no instruments on "Medulla", but this isn't just Bjork singing alone in a studio. She's testing the very limits of the human voice in as many ways as possible. Choirs meet rock star growling. Beatboxing meets Inuit throatsinging. Bjork hasn't merely removed instruments, as much as made them redundant. The carefully curated selection of collaborators are able to manipulate their vocal chords in a myriad of ways that have likely never been brought together before, since, or maybe ever again. Subtle electronic effects add different textures throughout the album as well. That technical process helps to create a blending of different cultures and times. At times, you can imagine a group of women singing in Medieval European choir. The image blends into a breathless indigenous woman passionately vocalizing stories of her ancestors. Next to them is an angsty modern rock star, and the world of the Bronx. Somehow, all of these diverse peoples are all together in a cave singing together, a beautiful celebration of human voice and cultures. The content of the songs reflects all of this in surprising ways. There are universal themes of family relations and motherhood, along with stargazing and worship of nature. In some ways, it's a far cry from her early 90s London clubbing days, but in others is uniquely Bjork. This album is a triumph and of her best work (if also the most confusing to some people). Given the themes, "Oceania" was rightfully featured at the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games, another celebration of the world and human abilities.

Returning to this one that I missed. I don't think I've ever listened to a Bjork album, though I've liked a few singles. Spooky start! acapella track weird weird and scary cool icelandic track more acapella, giving Dirty Projectors cool layered strange choral acapella cool mellow big vocals wild vocal exercises Ancestors - lmao. she's making grunts and heaves I've literally never heard before in music. I'm cracking up imagining almost anyone listening to this. unsure if related but my cat is full on yowling at me at this point this last track.. beatboxing! lmao. meowing? I'm really happy someone is making this music and I'm glad to have listened to it. But I certainly won't return to it. This made me want to listen to some of her more approachable stuff though. 2.4/5

This evolution of Bjork makes so much sense. She thinks about music and vocals differently from most, so why not an almost completely a capella pop album? I feel like her discography is like a dissertation and intellectually I love this album and the big swing it takes. I liked listening to it, but only a few tracks really stood out. I would rate as a 3.5, but bumping up to 4 for the sheer audacity of the project.

Raw I think is the word? Weird, uncomfortable, and haunting at times. More of an experience than a traditional listening.

Obviously I was expecting weird shit, and I got it, but I also got some tracks that were bops. She’s great at what she does, long live freaky women.

Another Bjork album I had not heard previously and another one I really enjoyed overall. A couple of real stand out tracks ("Who is it" in particular). Real drama and epicness (?) to the album - unfortunately a couple of bum tunes ("Ancestors") where the crazy gets dialled to 11 means its not a 5. Strong 4. Will return.

Medúlla In other people’s hands this could very easily be pretentiously unlistenable and just too much hard work. While parts of it are definitely not easy to listen to, particularly the pervy sex-fucking noises at the end of Ancestors, it's always interesting and engaging, tripping from dreamlike and ambient to discordant, chaotic and jumpy, via a bit of beatboxing and Gregorian chanting. A few tracks stand out individually - Where is the Line, Vokuro, Who Is It, Submarine (feat. Beaker from the muppets), Mouths Cradle and Triumph of a Heart (beatboxing and cats) - but it definitely works better as one 45 minute piece of music. You can’t help but admire her singularity of vision. To make a 45 minute album created almost entirely from human voices, encompassing melody, harmony and rhythm is pretty amazing, and then to make it listenable, interesting, engaging and moving too. I don’t think many people would be able to do that. Feels like something I’ll come back to and delve into again, it really is a fascinating album. 4. 🦢🦢🦢🦢 Playlist submission: Mouths Cradle

A quarter of it is a like an ominous oratorio, evoking murders in dark medieval cathedrals. Could only be constructed by a genius. The rest sounds like Yoko Ono taking a shit.

If you had asked me before I started this project what I thought of Bjork I probably would have said "I don't really listen to her, but I'm sure her music is fine." This is my third Bjork album on this list, and it had sharpened my hatred into a heightened sense, like how blind people often report having enhanced hearing or smell. However, my heightened sense of hate just makes my tolerance for Bjork's music non-existent. Short review: I got about 7 minutes i to this and fucked right out of there. Nope.

Comme Portishead, mais en relou.

I find this fairly interesting as a work of conceptual sonic art, but it's not doing anything for me in the context of music. In a way, it kinda sounds like Jacob Collier if he were an Icelandic hipster.

I wish I could give this a 0. Ancestors is a war crime.

Bjork is one of the most amazing vocalists and it's on display here. This is not the right starting point for listening to her though. Any of her prior albums is more musical and a more pleasurable listen. This is more conceptual, stunning at times, but takes effort to enjoy

The multilayered acapella vocals are just gorgeous. It’s as if Björk reached into the earth and pulled out something primordial.

It's weird, but then again, it's Bjork so of course it is. It's charming, interesting, and unique. Ideal for this list.

For my first full-length Bjork, this was a challenging one. Not super accessible, it’s a collection of arty and left field “voice music.” Lots of interesting elements and undeniable creativity, but I found getting a toehold difficult.

There's a pretty voice here, but musically it often seems to be just making noise.

Medulla is Bjork's fifth studio album, and recording comprised almost entirely a cappella. Her previous effort, Vespertine, involved extensive electronic tracks, and these songs are as far from that format as possible. Bjork uses voices for all arranged parts - including a pseudo-slap bass. These are interesting, challenging songs that could be called avant garde, or could be an "alt-classical." These are not songs that will appeal to all ears, but they are interesting, beautiful songs.

listened to again fascinating

I enjoy Björk and her vibe but did not vibe with this album. Good for her and how experimental she is but this one was wild. Would not listen again.

Not my thing. Wouldn't listen again

See rating for Vulnicura

Some of these songs are okay, but a lot of them just feel like random noise.

I feel like I should like this and Bjork but I just can't get into it. Everything just feels so random and I am not really coherent. I was cleaning while listening and realized I kinda of blocked it out and didn't really focus on any of it because it was just not that enjoyable. Personal weird story however, during Submarine and the song repeating "Do It Now," I found a sticker with the exact same words. Bjork is doing her best to force herself into my head :p

I seriously hope this is Bjork's weirdest album.

Bjork is never dull. When this album was released in 2004, I was enthralled by her hyper creativity. Who else makes a popular album where most of the instrumentation is created using only a human voice? Still pretty interesting. The songs are fine enough, but in retrospect I find this be a mid album for her, and it definitely drags in parts. If I had to pick one Bjork album to keep for all eternity, this isn’t it. Highlights include Desired Constellation and Oceania, which if memory serves me correct, was the official song of the 2004 Olympics.

This was very avant-garde and too weird for my listening palate. I did like that the last song actually had a beat and also what sounded like meowing cats. The rest of it, no thanks.

Ich liebe Björk. Sie ist fantastisch, überhaupt nicht Mainstream, kreativ und sooo anders. Das mag ich an ihr. Trotzdem schaffe ich mit diesem Album keinen Zugang. Es ist sehr abwechslungsreich, keine Frage, toll produziert. Aber mein Ohr sagt nein. Für Björk kein Problem. Verstanden.

I became a Bjork fan in 2002, my brother gave me a burned copy of her Greatest Hits and Vespertine after we watched her perform something on TV and agreed it was cool as fuck. I became obsessed and bought each of her previous albums and listened to them constantly. I was in middle school. When it broke that she was coming out with a new album, I had a mental calendar on which I was crossing off the days. I remember buying this CD at a local music store and eagerly opening the package to look at the booklet and art while my mom drove me home. This is not an album for a young teen to identify with, but I was determined to enjoy it. For years I loved the more straightforward (lol) pop structured tracks. “Who Is It?”, “Triumph of a Heart”, “Mouth’s Cradle”, and “Oceania” were favorites, and I would mostly skip through the rest. I got older, she released newer material that wasn’t acapella, and I kind of forgot about this album entirely. In 2022, Bjork released a series of podcasts that dove deep into inspiration and production of each album called “Sonic Symbolism”. I listened along and re-explored each album after hearing her description and discovered that now, ages later, Medulla has become one of my favorite Bjork albums. A few main points to get out of the way – yes, it is insane that this is an almost entirely acapella album, and this certainly contains some of her most abstract compositions to date, but I think the strength and cohesiveness of the production, arrangement, and themes are perhaps second only to Vespertine. This is her pinnacle as far as committing to the bit; recruiting unique and exemplary voices from around the world, including Rahzel, Mike Patton, and famously just missing getting Beyonce involved. This is an album about traditions and motherhood, the empowerment it can bring as well as the hysterical lengths women go to emotionally, physically, and spiritually, to provide all. Her reflections on this are tongue in cheek on tracks like “Pleasure Is All Mine” or “Where is the Line”, heartfelt on “Desired Constellation” or “Who Is It”, proud on tracks like “Oceania” and “Mouth’s Cradle”, and downright joyful on “Triumph of a Heart”. “Submarine” is a haunting duet with Robert Wyatt. “Sonnets/Unrealities XI” is a heartbreaking arrangement of an e.e. cummings poem. This album also contains multiple songs in her native language, Icelandic, again linking to the themes of heritage. “Ancestors” is a bit of a notorious song in its unusual fusion of Inuit throat singing by Tonya Tagac. I think it is a valuable inclusion both as an on-theme spotlight on an indigenous artform traditionally performed by women but also, in the flow of the tracklist, I think it sets up the vocal ‘percussion’ that throat singing provides on the following track, “Mouths Cradle”. This is a headphones album because if you listened to it out loud people would be like “What the fuck are you listening to?”, but also because the atmosphere it produces is uniquely engrossing and deserving of a close listen.

What a brilliant and beautiful album! The rich and dense vocals, complex rhythms and overall musicality make this a joyful listening experience. OMG!

Björk was 100% herself in this album. I would definitely need to be in a certain mood to listen to this again.

Definitely a few songs I could get into but mostly were too experimental for me

Joa

🤮.

Ok so definitely a mixed bag for me Really interesting to hear basically an a cappella project from an artist so celebrated for her fusion of electronica/experimental dance music + pop music. But it still feels very singularly Björk Can’t help but miss some of the electronic elements of her prev body of work. The highlights of the album (to me) are songs that meld electronic instrumentals with the layered choral vocals - wish there was more of that Sorry to say it was lowkey giving pentatonix to me at some points

Björk makes weird records in good faith and I listen to her records in hope, but again I can find no entrance to this record, an irritating artifact.

Always up for a challenge, I quite enjoyed this despite obvious reservations! The music is fairly interesting and agreeably distanced from the usual pixie/techno/showtune mishmash I dread from this lady. Both singles were low points, as they are closer to the expected style, and "Ancestors" did try my patience, but overall a worthwhile listen. Essentially, Mark, it could have been so much worse by being so much less

Favorite Track: Where Is The Line

I love Bjork. I do not love this album. For the first time, I think I see what her detractors often complain about. Normally, I love all the clicks, and beeps, and hisses, and strange background noises that are so inherently Bjork. I feel like it gives her music this lush, complex, and full sound that keeps my attention and seasons the experience. In this album, however, they feel like they're just there for the sake of being there instead of improving the overall experience. I was excited when I saw this album pop up, so this isn't a situation where I'm just not in a Bjork mood, this album just doesn't connect with me. At all. I'm loathe to give Bjork lower than a 3 star review, but I don't really ever want to listen to this album again, which means it merits 2 stars. It felt like the second half of the album was getting better, but there are so many songs with weird heavy breathing and grunting and...I'm sorry, Bjork, I love you, but this ain't it.

This is a headphones album for sure. My first Björk album, and I'm kinda into it? It's weird, but I knew it would be going in. The use of vocalizations instead of instruments is really cool and makes for an interesting but cohesive sound.

I’ve had a couple Bjork albums in the past and was neutral or ambivalent about them. But this one was a struggle for me to get through, and I only made it about halfway before I had to switch to something else to save my patience. I finished it later in the day, by the skin of my teeth. I really don’t like music where it’s mostly just singing and very little instrument sound. At times, there was no background music at all. It was like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Finally. A woman. Great album artistically but for some reason I got nausea during it and the vocals did Not help. Her voice is beautiful and I will listen to her other stuff

I wonder if it is art or something for the trashcan. I tried realy hard, but after the second title, my headaches got too strong to continue listening. sorry.

Already know it's not a fave.

Weird. Cool.

I enjoyed Vespertine and Vulnicura, but this is way too vocal-driven for my liking.

Bjork is Bjork. Embrace or walk away. I walked away.

Utterly unique but not quite listenable

If you like Björk's style you will like this one, if not, you probably will find it weird.

There was a brief period in the early 2000s when we all wondered if Bjork was the most important artist alive. Turned out not to be the case, and so to us now it seems silly that she would have so many albums on this list.

Sadly, my first reaction to this album was "wait, *another* Bjork album???" I actually enjoy listening to Bjork, in smaller doses I'll admit, so it's kind of disappointing that this collection has created a bit of a Pavlovian reaction to hearing her voice. I'm honestly not sure why we get five Bjork albums (including the Sugarcubes album), but only two Cocteau Twins albums, as they're not all that dissimilar (and frankly one of each would have been enough for this collection). I now realize I've already ranted along the same lines about my Bjork overload with the previous album ("Vespertine" I think), so I should stop now. Although I still can't really understand her lyrics (and frankly I'm pretty sure several of the songs aren't in English), this album *does* seem to differ from her earlier albums in the collection, mainly with fewer pop-oriented beats and the occasional Metroid-Prime-Trilogy-sounding tracks (like "Where is the line"). I don't know Bjork's music well enough to know if the medieval-sounding tracks like "Vokuro" or the nearly a capella "Oll Birtan" became a new direction for her, but it was an interesting change of pace. I also enjoyed finding out that she worked with an Inuit throat singer on some of the tracks, and also worked with both Robert Wyatt (whose album in this collection was a great disappointment for me once I realized he wasn't John Martyn) and Faith No More/Mr. Bungle's Mike Patton. And while I was a bit disappointed the videos for this album weren't nearly as mesmerizing as previous albums (although "Triumph of a heart" is pretty bizarre), the vocal focus certainly demonstrates what an impressive range she has.

I'm behind with my albums and so I checked with the "ex" albums and found this is no longer necessary to hear before I die so it's a big DNL for me.

Qué se yo, estoy re loco. Un viaje con muchísimos arreglos vocales. Nota: 4.2

She is unique, for sure. Don't know that I would listen to this again but appreciated the creativity. At least its not 80s britpop. 3/5

I can appreciate the artistry, but too ethereal for me

Interesting voice with a great range, dont like her songs tho lol

Can’t listen and not see Winona Ryder on SNL Celebrity Jeopardy. 1.5

This is…really great haha. It’s one of the albums on here that I’m really glad is on here. I didn’t even realize the point of it until the third track, where everything is vocal. It’s neat. I don’t think I’d ever listen to it for fun? Haha it’s a little intense. And I wouldn’t necessarily call it pretty. But I do like it a lot!

Acquired taste

Vocal-centric albums are such a rare treat and this one is truly one of the all-time best. I also appreciate how the vocal focus perfectly compliments the album's themes of focusing on humanity and naturalism.

Soundscape with voices alone, very creative and interesting. Some electronics. Beatboxers, throat singers. Quite beautiful and gentle.

Ahh yes, time to feel like an insane person. Theres not much left for me to say that I haven’t already said about Bjork in my other reviews. I still don’t like it. I still feel like the songs would be better without her constantly trying to speak English. This album in particular featured a full ensemble of mouth musicians, so that’s something. I’m convinced she is a witch that has taken her studio hostage under her crafts and forces them to do her bidding. 4/10

Well that was certainly an experience.

Odd but good

This album should've been a single. It's unbearable from the third track onwards.

Definitely won't be a great starting point for anyone thinking about getting into Björk. This album will be a challenge no matter what. While, I feel it meanders in spots, the strengths of this album seem to outway those feelings and another I'll come back to.

Where is the line, Vokuro, Oll Birtan, Who is it, Oceania, Ancestors, Mouths Cradle, Triumph of a heart

Bjorky

This is a pretty divisive album in a number of different circles but I happen to like it a lot. Of course the album is creative and ambitious, but still interesting and well-executed, something that not all “ambitious” projects can lay such a prominent claim to. 5 albums in a Björk hasn’t missed. 8/10

When Bjork commits to a concept for an album she commits hard, sometimes to the detriment of the album. This isn't my favorite Bjork album by a long shot, but it's hugely ambitious, always interesting, and has some really beautiful tracks.

OOF

Not for me

So far, I've rated a Björk album 5 stars and two others 3 stars each. Fact is, she's a weird artist. And this is a weird album by a weird artist. But this is one of those weird albums that works - against all odds. In general, I'm not a fan of minimalistic approaches in music. I prefer to be blasted with full-on maximalism. Give me that full, bombastic instrumentation and all of the complex, dense, ever-moving soundscapes. That's definitely not what this album is. And yet, it works. It's cool, it's new, it's fresh, and it sounds good.

Very cool! Don’t know that I’d listen to any song on its own but great sound

This was God awful. My first Björk album and I'm not understanding the appeal.

I've been aware of Bjork forever but never explored her music. I know a couple of the big singles, like Army of Me, The Hunter, and the newest one, Oral, with Rosalia; and I've listened to/enjoyed the Sugarcubes. But Bjork was one of those artists who was always kind of cool but a little too weird for me. I might have to change that after hearing this album. Is it weird as hell? Yes. Is it cool and interesting? Also yes. This album is kind of like what would happen if you combined Pentatonix, Imogen Heap, Nine Inch Nails, The Hu, and a classical choir — all things I enjoy (I contain multitudes, okay?). This album runs the gamut from ethereal choral pieces to quirky pop songs to just bizarre stuff that doesn't sound like anything else. The fact that this album was made with minimal use of instruments and is mostly made up of vocals is insane. Bjork's voice is probably one of the most distinct voices in recent music history — that rich alto is instantly recognizable, and few people can make screaming and growling sound so good. Who Is It? is a certified banger, as is Triumph of a Heart — I can see why those were singles. Where is The Line? is a cool kind of industrial/choral song. Submarine and Oceania are also great but completely different vibes. The songs where she sings in Icelandic are cool too. This is definitely a strange album, but it's also really cool and atmospheric. And Bjork is one of the few modern musicians who really does something original. 4/5

Previous impression of Bjork: don’t get it, and don’t like it. Updated impression of Bjork: sorta get it, still don’t really like it.

sounds like a horror movie too freaky for me honestly i can acknowledge its cool but just NOT for me bjork is sick tho

Björk's music is so surreal, so psychedelic and creative, that it very nearly defies logic. Medúlla is no exception. I am bumping it down a notch for the music being less accessible to general audiences than some of her other entries on this list (e.g. Debut, Vespertine). But it's still excellent stuff – really, mind-bending rather than necessarily pleasant. Mind-bending in the best possible way. Björk's overlapping vocal arrangements on this album are easily the highlights, particularly in tracks like Mouths Cradle, Where Is The Line, and Triumph Of A Heart, where she really goes all in on the weird avant-garde scatting. The music is bursting with personality, ideas, and musical virtuosity. It's insane. The music is quite minimalist, with instruments (or even non-vocal sounds in general) being used sparingly. A few of the tracks, particularly on the first half of the album, do suffer a little from this, particularly as Björk's accent makes her lyrics hard to make out at times. Show Me Forgiveness, Vokuro, and Oll Birtan (tracks 2, 4, and 5) are essentially 100% vocals-and-nothing-else songs. I worry it could get a little stale, especially upon album relistens. There's not much to glean from these kinds of tracks without dissecting the lyrics and melody, and if you're not that kind of listener, you can feel a little lost in the weird wonderland of Björk. 4/5 Key tracks: Mouths Cradle, Oceania, Triumph Of A Heart

don't like the weird ass breathing and panting 1/5

This album is fucking sick Jesus Christ.

where is the line with you is a fucking triumph jesus. also her voice is just so unique and powerful mmm.

Decent. A fascinating concept for an album. Although my reaction is mild.

Another Bjork, another reminder I should be listening to Bjork way more often. And a bonus cameo from Robert Wyatt! This one will be revisited soon.

I can’t argue against more than one Bjork album being on here, but I am starting to suspect she is one of the artists that also has too many. This was a chore.

Was it intersting? Yes. Will I listen to it again? No.

oooof.

Is this perfect? No. Is it for everybody? Christ no. But if you're a certain kind of person (and I am), when this hits, it *hits*. Some inessential stuff in the middle, but what a start and end.

I didn't really need to listen to this again to rate it, but I was always gonna. Brilliant album, not my favourite of hers but definitely up there.

(*Icelandic breathy moaning intensifies*) Now I love Bjork and nearly everything she does, but I will say this is probably one of her most "experimental" albums, and will definitely not be for everyone! The almost sole use of spoken word and vocal noises instead of instruments definitely gives it a very specific, intimate air and basically you're listening to a group of people breathing heavily at you for the best part of an hour... That being said, still some great tunes here, and Triumph of the Heart is on my regular rotation for a reason. Faves: Who Is It; Oceania; Triumph of the Heart

I get it. She's extremely talented. She made an \"acapella\" album which is impressive - but is this in here because it's simply her? Is this the best acapella album to hear before I die? I don't know what is - maybe some Gregorian Monk Chanting or Mongolian Throat Singing or that Lady Smith Black Mambazo album I've already had or Random Sea Shanties (they were popular during COVID weren't they?) but is it this one? Probably not. One listen is enough for me. Best Tracks: Pleasure Is All Mine; Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right); Triumph of a Heart

Experimental a cappella you say? Throat singing? Count me the fuck out! This was certainly unique, but I can't say my life is any better for having listened to it haha

This gets three stars because one, it’s Bjork; two, she’s trying something genuinely different and unexpected; and three, there are bits of it that I like and it’s overall inoffensive. That being said, this really isn’t my cup of tea. The incessant beatboxing also makes it sound very “early 2000’s” and not in a good way.

An experimental journey into the avant-garde world of Björk. It took a few listens to truly dive in deep to appreciate but the creativity is off the charts.

It’s won’t let me do less than 1 star. Bonkers album, not in a good way either. Ancestors on this album is the single worst thing ever documented by a human. It’s a panic attack in audio form. Fair play to Biork though, what a way to make a living!

Get this as far away from my eardrums as possible. Make it stop please. Managed 3 songs before I ended the punishment. Basement 1.