Debut

Her album is like an amulet warding off everything that is typical and average in music. Her sound is uniquely her, taking only seconds to identify the magical mind behind it. She is a treasure.

The voice what already there but the artist was truly born with this album. An album that fits everywhere and nowhere. Unlike much dance/electronic music of the time - she uses the steady beat to really explore sonic possibility. Too many good songs - actually songs - to list and that production never ceases to surprise.

What a set up from the Sugarcubes, the voice and singing is still very expressive and incredible. But what makes this album stand out is that she embraced the trip hop wave that has been getting traction and she made it hers. But it's not the only genre she made hers : it's indeniably pop and also dance music. A really groundbreaking album. And of course there is this long list of flawless tubes. Favorite Songs: Human Behaviour ; Venus as A Boy ; Like Someone in Love ; One Day ; Violently Happy ; Play Dead

There are four Björk albums on this list. So far, this is my third one. I will continue to make the argument that Vulnicura, or maybe even Vespertine, should have been swapped out for Post. But this one. This one definitely belongs. Electronic, drum and bass, jazz, pop - the influences are all there and weave so seamlessly in and out of the songs. And while Human Behavior , Venus as a Boy, and Big Time Sensuality I've heard before, it was There's More to Life Than This that really cemented it for me. What a song, what an album.

This album was so magical I felt like I was ascending. I havn't felt like this since I discovered Tokio Hotel for the first time

5 stars

This is a remarkable album by any stretch of the imagination. Up to this point Björk was best known for the indie rock of the Sugar Cubes, but she effectively reinvented herself when she moved to London in the early 90s carrying a demo tape of songs that she had been working on since she was a teenager. She found a natural home in the club culture of the time and teamed up with producer Nelee Hooper from Massive Attack, finally finding someone who understood what she wanted to do. This album combines dance floor beats with quirky musical sketches and improvised ideas set to string arrangements including a harp and tabla played by Talvin Singh. On top of this Björk’s unique vocals are probably the most divisive element, ranging from from ethereal pixie girl to unexpected yelps and growls over a huge range. Personally, I absolutely adore this style, your mileage may vary. Lyrically it’s as strange and lovely as you could wish for, with a struggle to find love and acceptance in a confusing world being a constant theme. One of the tracks There’s More To Life Than This was recorded live in a nightclub toilet and perfectly captures the feeling of wanting to steal a small boat and sail away to a small island like some sort of Moomin. Little-My-tastic!

Phenomenal, she loved ecstasy so much she moved to Manchester to feast on the divine nectar of dance electronica

9/10 This album is Björk at her most dancey. She was so ahead of her time when it came to making experimental pop music, and it's wild to think this was her solo debut.

4.5

really liked it! expanded my taste <3

I used to find this album slightly annoying, didn't like the slow 'nightclub crooner' numbers or her yelping singing style. But listening again today after 30 years I absolutely loved it. Such a singular creative vision!

im a simp

I’m going to debut a bullet to my skull if I have to listen to another Bjork album. This is low key the best one so far though. 9/10

E muti

I love this album. I don't know about her later stuff, but this one is really enjoyable. Elements of jazz, interesting songs, lots of variety but always distinctly Her.

Perfektný album. Bjork som mal rád ešte od čias Sugarcubes. Podarilo sa mi zažiť ju naživo, bola čarovná.

Icelandic alt rocker discovers the British rave scene and drops an all time great record. Just an endless pleasure, so full of infectious joy and weirdness, while still eminently danceable.

Clever, innovative, different. Some great songs, well produced and created.

Love!

no notes

So very innovative and using electronic music in a unique way, especially during the early 90s

In my mind, Bjork is a selkie

Love love love Björk!

What a fabulous debut album. Weird, beautiful, innovative.

What an interesting album! I loved it. I loved how Bjork played with space and depth. I love the creative meta of it all. I love how tactile the album is. It feels like you're in the room with her.

wow i love it when music is fun and weird

I only recently got into Bjork’s music. I was that guy. The one who thought, how good could that swan chick’s music be? Yes. I am an idiot. Bjork is simply one of the greatest artists of the last 30 years, and continues to make excellent music. This is her post Sugarcubes solo debut, and a much poppier and dancier affair than any of her other work. It's easily one of the best albums of the 90s and would eventually (along with the two albums that followed) inspire (at least in part) Radiohead’s reinvention of themselves

9/10

Straight up Björking it Incredible album, full of bangers. Makes it very hard to pick a favourite. Leaning towards the more boppy ones on this listen so will be one of them Still can’t unhear “Krampus I need you” at the chorus in ‘Crying’

Superb album. Musically diverse and experimental.

I ❤️ BJÖRK!! She has the most uniquely beautiful and alluring voice of anyone I’ve listened to. There is no problem on this album at all with songs blending together - she somehow manages to create so many amazingly different but addicting sounds while also having them sound cohesive. Fav songs: Venus as a boy, big time sensuality, come to me

10/10

A masterliece

PERFECT EARGASM

Que album tan hermoso, que formas tan únicas tiene Björk de expresarse y presentarse ante el mundo haciendo como primer proyecto un album que se hizo un clásico de forma instantánea. Cada vez que lo reescucho encuentro una cancion nueva con la que obsesionarme 10/10

i loved this, already on my fave album

I like other Bjork records more, but this one is so fresh, so exciting, and such a triumph after the Sugarcubes era... that it deserves a five.

One of my favorite Björk albums, though it's hard to pick out a clear favorite.

Rate: 10/10. Mística, ídola, genia, crack, una leyenda Björk.

I was a weird, arty girl in high school in the early- to mid-90s. I'm incapable of objectivity when it comes to this album.

I was kind of obsessed with this album when it came out. Unique, bizarre, emotional, vulnerable. Well, Björk.

I loved this and was a bit surprised that the critics reviews are the tune weren't super glowing. Bjork blends styles so seamlessly and mostly leans into electronic dance/trip hop in a really cool way, but I liked the slight change of pace of Like Someone to Love. This seems like an album that has aged spectacularly and sounded incredibly fresh to me

Amazing, her voice probably wouldn’t work with everything but she knows how to nail it with her music

Still sounds as great today as it did when released. Got to be her best. Unique. 5/5.

Discazo

A new sound. Welcome. The Swan dress.

Niente da dire, è perfetto

A legend starts her trek post-trend setting band

A couple listens while working this AM has been somewhere between a 4 and a 5. I suspect a dedicated listen on high volume through good speakers with immediately convince me the supreme excellency of Bjork's debut. I've always admired and appreciated her music and this one was no different. Such an impressive first album. 4.5/5

1993! Bjork was so far beyond the plodding pace of voice + beats. Strange, personal, unpredictable. I love how the audience POV slips inside and outside of the club on There's More to Life Than This, a trick Daft Punk would do in 1997 with Revolution 909. There's just no one like Bjork.

Love it

Believe in beauty, for one day, as waves, love will crash overhead. Aeroplanes will circle over. There's more than this. Listen to the roars, and cry. Dive into the harbor. Languor is beautiful, but the waves are beauty.

Björk's proper Debut was such a departure from her previous work most people don't even know about it. Leaving Punk and New Wave behind, Björk turned to Electronic and Dance music and embarked on a consistenly inventive and groundbreaking career that still surprises to this day. This first album is probably the only that sounds even remotely like the times. Early dance music has this particular sound to it, especially in the percussion. That's not to say it isn't worth a listen, as it most certainly manages to sound fresh in spite of all that. The songwriting and production are excellent throughout, with mysterious moments like "Human Behaviour" and "Aeroplane" counter balanced by House numbers like "Big Time Sensuality" and "Violently Happy". Variety abounds here: there's downtempo ("Venus as a Boy"), jazz ("Like Someone in Love"), strange chamber folk ("The Anchor Song"), and even a song recorded in a toilet(?) ("There's More to Life Than This"). And at the center of it all is Björk herself with her unique widescreen vocals and almost otherworldly presence. The singing may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it makes a whole lot more sense when you know about her Punk background. I'm actually surprised the following two albums, Post (1995) and Homogenic (1997), didn't make the cut. Those albums present completely different sides of Björk and contain some of her greatest and most well-known songs. "Play Dead", the bonus track from Debut, is now usually found on most editions of the record and is one of Björk's best early songs, so be sure to not miss it, too. Key tracks: Human Behaviour Crying Venus as a Boy Big Time Sensuality Come to Me Violently Happy Play Dead

Da queen

It was only a matter of time before this showed up. Reviewing straight away as it might be my most listened to album, probably in my top 5 favourite. No one is doing it like Björk, no one can do it like Björk, but people won't ever stop trying.

A fresh mix of electronic beats and pop melodies, playful and distinctive, with Björk’s voice carrying a sense of curiosity and individuality.

Great! I loved it.

Gitta love bjork

VIENNA ...

I was a fan of the Sugarcubes (saw them at Selina's at the Coogee Bay Hotel in 1990), and it was clear that Bjork was the star of that outfit. Her voice, literally and figuratively, was idiosyncratic and distinct. I was not surprised when she went solo and was interested to hear what she would do. Human Behaviour was immediately one of my favourite releases of that year, and the album that followed was similarly strong. The mix of electronics with unexpected but well-deployed acoustic instruments (harp, brass) is tasteful and expansive. Bjork is one of the great pop artists. 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. Some of her later work has gone in esoteric directions that were not for me, but I strongly defend her right to do whatever the hell she wants. We need true artists working in the pop genre. She is the rare musician who can effectively capture joy. I saw her perform as a solo act at the 1994 Big Day Out festival, and she could project those big emotions on the big stage. My only criticism is the occasional appearance of a cheap synth sounds to emulate real instruments that have aged like fine milk (the terrible fake saxophone at the end of Big Time Sensuality or fake horns on One Day are particularly egregious to my ears). But if that is the most I have to complain about, then I am only picking at nits. Five stars, one of the greatest pop albums of all time.

Haven’t heard the full album for a very long time, I liked The Sugarcubes before, so when she went solo you just knew… I saw her at later with Jools Holland at White City in 1993 - she was amazing - love this album - “ Pocket Rocket”

Really fun and funky

dated 90s dance music but i’m happy that i got my favorite artist so 5 stars cause im biased

I love this weird little lady

Having never heard a Björk song before I didn't know what to expect but I really loved this

Bjork is awesome. This was the most accessible record of hers so far. I preferred the other more challenging albums to this one but still really good and better than the majority of this list. Human Behavior is a classic. Loved the song with the harp too.

Brilliant debut album. Unique and showcases Bjork's range of vocals.

Meu álbum favorito e minha artista favorita!

Owned. Masterpiece

Björk

This is 2 for 2 for Bjork, Never would have guessed I liked her. I think I preferred her voice better with the grit and rock elements on the sugar cubes album. Pleased with this nonetheless.

I haven't listened to this in forever. I forgot that I love this. Songs are weird, fun, interesting. Reminds me of a specific time in my life. Nice to get reacquainted with this album. The Sugarcubes are also great. Might have to do a deep dive into Bjork's catalog!

Bjork is peak.

I hold some bias on this one. I was cutting it on the dancefloor to many songs from this album, and the ones to follow, in the halcyon prime of my youth. This is the beauty of Björk, however. Somehow, avant-garde jazz, rock, dancehall, and poetic songwriting all come together to create something that is both danceable and enjoyable in its artistic merits as well. Her unique speech-singing delivery somehow only adds to the melodiousness of her voice. An original, if there ever was one. This album and a couple of the following ones were/are magnificent.

I recognised the song big time sensuality I really like björk’s style it’s very unique

And it's not even the best Bjork record. I hope there's more Bjork i this list. There should be more Bjork in the world.

So fun. I had a great time with this. It's dated more than the other björk I've heard, with those early 90s dance disco beats. But she's kind of playing with that. Harp stuff is awesome. I was not expecting a full on jazz standard in the middle.

Been listening to this album a lot for the better part of a year with my wife, and Venus As A Boy and Big Time Sensuality hit me hard every single time.

Maybe still her best!!

Every song here starts out with this combination of sounds that hits my ear harshly, but as they continue and Bjork starts singing, a logic coalesces within them? What the heck. This is surely the first time anyone has had such a reaction to the Icelandic singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir

A much more palatable Björk album to me than Medulla! A real fun time

Love this album. Funky indie. Insane voice.

Increíble. Ya era fan de Björk antes de este album, pero sinceramente creo que es lo mejor que he escuchado de ella. Su voz siempre es extraordinaria, pero me gusta como se mezcla con los ritmos dance de este primer album.

Wat een heerlijk album! Heeft wat van Massive Attack weg. Ben toch wel een Bjork fan denk ik...

Instrumentals are so experimental and hardcore especially for a debut! Vocals are insane also. This is such a fun album! So different, so daring and I’m loving the journey I’ve been taken on. It’s not typically what I’m into or will go back to listen to but I can appreciate the art for every aspect it is. The lyrics are just so ahhhh good! Getting spiritual and self love journey vibes and I love it

Beautiful, cool, everything

More digestible than some of her later more gremlin core albums. But still has a lot of what makes her so captivating to listen to.

If this list has taught me one thing, it is that I should have spent much more time much sooner to listen to Björk, properly. For some reason I never did, even though I liked many of her songs (I hate It's Oh so Quiet with a passion, though). I have so say, I love this album (and the previous ones I "had to" listen to) way more than I though I would. This is fantastic music, unique, creative. Excellent. Gets a five.

Love, love, love. So honest and fun and sensual.

I hate to be one of those people but I loved this album. Björk's singing was disappointing but the music was amazing.

LOVE THIS One

I have to admit, it took me a really long time to warm up to Bjork. I had mostly written her off in the past as too eclectic for my taste, but when I heard her recent collaborations with Rosalia, I revisited her music with a different lens. This album feels asynchronous at times, but the composition/production choices are so unpredictable while Bjork belts out introspective lyrics about heartbreak and sensuality. I love the house influences in this album, making it so 90s, and I love the beauty and tempo in "Venus as a Boy"

I will admit, Björk is not the most talented musician or singer. But what she is good at - and has been good at since the beginning of her career - is producing music that will yank you out of whatever else you have going on and say "pay attention to me". Whether you like it or not is a different question entirely, but I love it. To a certain extent I think Björk taught me how (or at least influenced my approach) to listen to music.

Magical

Possibly the best debut album ever, this is pretty much all high notes. I love it.

Fabulous! Great songs, great vibes, must buy

What a Bjanger. Didn’t expected this to be as dance-focused as it was. She really did just start her output as Bjork great and just get greater…

I have no idea how this album is over 30 years old. I've always had pull towards her as an artist, there's something so enchanted about the sound, it doesn't sound like anybody else, but in a good way.

1 of the most visual albums I have ever listened to. Never gonna be a sound like björk

What a fantastic album! Love the random dance tracks mixed in with her well known songs! Would absolutely listen to it again!

Amazing album

Amazing. One of my favourite albums

Björk’s voice is magical and often haunting. This is such a beautiful album.

top 3 - There’s More To Life Than This, The Anchor Song, Big Time Sensuality. I love this album so much!! Was really excited when I got this! I love Björk :)

I finally get it. This album is incredible. I don’t think I can say anything about it that hasn’t already been said, I just can’t believe it’s taken this long for this album to click with me.

Well, this one is a definite classic I've enjoyed a lot of over the years but I've never done a deep dive on it as a whole album. Just listened to a few tracks such as Human Behaviour or Violently Happy from this release. I mean, her style and voice are like nothing else. There was a Sugarcubes release earlier I reviewed and wow, you really forget how much better she is suited to be left to her own devices and experiment as a solo artist. Some of the samples and sounds are a bit dated today, but the essence of the songs and work that went into sonic exploration for this record is evident.. imagine this being your first release! It reminds me a little of the album Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp but then you see that this was released 7 years before that! Flows effortlessly from electronic into jazzy pop, all while playing with samplers, recording unorthodox instruments and arranging the songs in irregular ways which keep you hanging. The live from the milk bar toilets track is a pretty funny idea, imitating the sound of the live performance, then as the listener leaves the bar it sounds like you're at the side of the road or a windy atmosphere while being serenaded by a harp; who would think that those two ideas would ever flow into each other or work, not me, but it does! One day is my least favourite track, so aeroplane is a breath of relief once that one is over. I'd say listening today I'd rate the album a 4, but putting it into context, of the electronic music capabilities at the time, and the fact that this record launched Björk into the the world; it's a 5 for me. (Even though Post, her second album is better in my opinion!) This really got me back into rediscovering her discog (and all the albums released since my last dive) - so thanks to the project for that!

Björk is such a genius that everything she does ends up being a masterpiece

Have already listened to this album before, and it's part of my CD collection. Would like to thank my Dad for introducing me to great music at a young age. Will use this as an excuse to listen to it again but I already know its a 5

Brilliant album

Tiempo sin escuchar este disco, desde el colegio, buenos recuerdos

I mean, holy shit, right?!

Odd but great

motherr

To be completely honest, I was simply listening to device if this would be a 4 or a 5 for me. I came to Debut late, right when Post was coming out. But I remember watching the video for Army of Me in my hotel in Madrid, realizing how fucking cool she was. I was in love. Lol. So many favorited songs on Debut and the ones that weren't are essential, to connect between the hits. The Anchor Song could possibly be my favorite Björk song at this moment. Easy 5/5

Why lie?

Heeeel goed!!!!

Wow, what an incredible voice and talent! Very interesting production and arrangements here all helping to serve and support that incredible voice. What a unique blend of sounds! I would say pretty much all her albums are essential listening. This is a good place to start though and if you dig it then make sure to keep going through her discography because there are a lot of amazing treasures to be found there! Her art will enrich your life and make you a better listener of music!

perfect 👌

Excellent. I love her.

upbeat, with some dark and aggressive undertones

Great album, but she only gets better from here!

What a beautiful, mesmerising journey that was. I forgot how good this album was.

Easily my favorite of the Bjork albums I've heard.

YES YES YES love music I can’t understand what the fuck they are saying. Björk sounds like a Sims I love it.

Crazy unique and special right from the beginning.

171/1089 Thank BJÖRK. ever since hearing Medúlla because of this project about 5 months ago I’ve really wanted to listen to more and i also loved Homogenic but i’ve held off on this and the two others that appear on this list until i get them on here. So i’m excited to say the least. And it lived up to it. i was concerned based on the cover and the fact that it’s her (solo) debut that it wouldn’t be as experimental or interesting, but it was! Just really fun and exciting 90s pop music. Like Someone In Love and Come To Me are the only songs i didn’t save but they were still great. my faves might be: Play Dead, The Anchor Song, Human Behaviour and Venus as a Boy 93/100

5 stars for the toilet song.

Parte esencial de mi juventud.

musicboard

I love this album and I love her.

“Big Time Sensuality” = me throwing myself around the dance floor at Popstarz in 1998. Solid 5 stars for a Bjork, fewer stars for 90s Lucy

3/1089 Nearly screamed when I got this I was SO excited. I listen to this album on my own all the time, Bjork is phenomenal to me even if it aware not many like her music Overall: 9.3/10 So I think you’ve gotta be in a björk mood to fully enjoy this, I personally think post is her best album though 😛

First of all I love Bjork so it is hard for me to criticize an album of hers. This one is fantastic though and while not my favorite, it really shined and showed what was to come from Bjork as an independent artist separate from The Sugarcubes. Some standout songs on this record.

I liked it alott

Damn. First thought is music is an art form and Bjork has mastered it. Like Someone in Love makes me feel like a kid watching the disney princess's solo in a disney movie And there's so much variety in vibes in this album Every song was good asf Saved: Human Behavior, Crying, Venus as a Boy, Like Someone in Love, One Day, Aeroplane, The Anchor Song

fucking fantastic

Iconic

An incredible album! But I think Homogenic is even better

Just all around a perfect time. It’s avant garde pop that anyone can and should enjoy.

the mother is serving the cuntiest of the cunt

One of my favorite albums of all time. A solid debut album for an impactful artist and discography.

As a songwriter and a '90s house music fan, this is a masterpiece. I was only 2 when it came out, but I wish I was 20. It would have been one hell of a moment.

I LOVE CCR

5 очков за вайб.

One of the best trip-hop debuts

Already a favorite, probably my favorite Bjork or Suguarcubes album, and I believe Violently Happy is very under appreciated.

LOVE

Impressive work. Many songs still sound very modern, it’s hard to imagine what a breakthrough it was in 1993

Absolute peak

As foundational and groundbreaking as everyone has said. Never listen to Bjork in my life and this album makes me realize I've been missing out

Lovers this record when it came out. Still love it

Excelente álbum! O contraste da música eletrônica com os vocais é sensacional! Pula Unicrom.

Stunning. Ahead of its time. Amazing vocals. Interesting song structures. The full gamut

a classic! i was just thinking of guy sigsworth's influence on _Music_ and feel like in turn he was influenced by "Venus As A Boy." i feel like the 90s were an extremely fruitful and productive time in pop music. i have always liked the way she enunciates "C" as "ch" or always uses the soft "G" in her vocals. obviously a huge influence but i think it's really bjork's vocals that turn her albums into a masterpiece. some songs i've noticed: violently happy, one day (reminds me of orbital)

Bjorkest surprise! Passionately adored every second of this. Figured I’d love some, but not at all of & not as much as I did.

Was NOT a fan growing up. Really dig this now though. So unique, what a force.

Heh… I was only playing this a few days ago :) What can I say? This is a phenomenal album and has some really great tracks on it. I’m always amused she won so many awards for “best newcomer” for this album as I’d been listening to her for years in the Sugercubes - and she had released albums before then with other bands too (her first album was when she was only 11 years old!). This, and her following “Post” album in 1995, are both great albums and still sound fresh today. Love them.

I love how avant-garde this album has felt after listening to it for a few times. I didn't know what to expect with this but this hit the spot. It's bold, exciting, and impactful. Yeah, you can say this is dated for it's time but when you tie every element together you're left with some good ol A R T. top 5: human behavior, venus as a boy (fav), like someone in love, big time sensuality, and come to me 4.5-4.75/5

Excellent.

I love "Human Behavior" and "Venus as a Boy" but had never listened to the whole album before. It's great from end to end.

Perfect.

Pretty fantastic album. So much variety, with lots of cool beats and weird instrumentation. Easy to see why she became an international sensation with this as a debut record. 5.0/5.0: Iconic

not really up my alley but its well produced and well performed with a lot of variety. i much prefered this album to vespertine

Was soll ich sagen, ich bin ein Sucker für Kreativität und Emotionalität - Meisterwerk. Wie wunderschön Venus as a Boy ist, hatte ich fast vergessen .. und come to me … the anchor song … Andere ihrer Alben höre ich öfter als dieses - schön, dass ich hier dazu gebracht werde; erst jetzt hab ich mich so richtig in Debut verliebt 🥰Björk kann mich jederzeit unerwartet treffen mit Gänsehaut, Schaudern oder Tränen. Ich glaub, sie ist mein Spirit Animal ❤️

I LOVE BJOORK

This one surprised me and then I saw everyone else’s ratings. First of all, the harp, the orchestra…. It’s so 90s too. So happy to have discovered this one!

Unique style, beautiful voice and instrumentals. This slaps

Stunning first release...every track a winner..

Never had a chance to hear it front to back, still i know over half of the songs. Amazing Debut

I heard many of these songs when the album was first released. Back then I thought the music was weird and almost alien. Revisiting this decades later and with a broader understanding of music - especially electronic and dance music - lets me appreciate what Björk created on this album.

An excellent album. Love this record. So danceable, kinda dreamy.

5 stars, like someone in love… with bjork

Superb album I must admit I’m more likely to play KUKL, the Sugarcubes or her 2010s lps than this but hearing this back I’m struck by how her voice and lyrics feel so personal on this lp. The production makes it feel like it was recorded on the way home from a nineties club. Its remarkable that an avant-garde artist from a remote island was album to capture the mid 90s zeitgeist but this record catapulted her into the mainstream and despite sounding of its time it probably remains the best entry point for someone new to her vision.

Describing an artist as "weird" always carries with it an air of judgment; "weird" artists are always either too out of it to know what they're doing (the Syd Barrett/Daniel Johnston outsider school) or else they're Doing It On Purpose, with all the fraught weight of intention that entails. Which is to say that, given Bjork's reputation, what's striking, thirty-plus years later, is how effortless this all sounds; casually inverting Byron on "Venus as a Boy," channeling - I don't know, Dinah Shore maybe? - on "Like Someone in Love," making the Eurodance subtext into text on "Big Time Sensuality." This album feels like an old friend taking you on a trip to a place she knows well and is excited for you to get to experience. Music of her mind, one might say.

I've been a fan of Björk since her Sugar Cubes days. One of the most unique talents in modern music. Her first post-Sugar Cubes solo album is a varied mix of dance, jazz, ambient, etc. taking her far away from the rock roots of her previous band.

Timeless classic with a great opening track. I usually just skip to the tracks I like the most like Big Time Sensuality but I think it is also a cohesive album worth hearing for anyone and so I'm giving 5 stars.

what a gem

I have already heard about her but never listened to her songs, I really enjoy it and I wasn’t expecting it at all, put many songs on my playlist, was nice to have this experience

BJORK WALKED SO CHARLI XCX COULD RUN! Favorites: "Crying," "There's More to Life Than This," "Big Time Sensuality," "One Day," and "Violently Happy." If I could give this a 4.75 I would, I didn't really like "The Anchor Song" much and think it took away from the album in its aura/essence a bit, but I am erring on the side of a 5/5.

Love this! Some tracks are too much but most of them just pure bangers

( Bjork has a whopping five 5s for me btw, with two of them being 10/10s (Vespertine and Homogenic) and three being 9/10s (Debut, Post, Vulnicara)

Geni! Och rösten! Femma

love

great album. Amazing diversity of tracks and styles.

This is a top 50 album for me. I love it.

I don't know my future after this weekend. Björk is lovely. I think this is going to be me processing stray thoughts. " Can I get a "Meet Björk at McDonald's" haircut?" Meeting "Björk" on an island, as in the lyric of "There's More To Life Than This", is inviting, but what she shares in the world is an energy we can all locate, that we yearn for when we want to run away; typically we don't. We all want Big Time Sensuality. Now this is difficult, because I got curious about the instrumentation of "Human Behaviour" and "Crying" and wondered if there were instrumental versions, because they are great dance/electronic pieces. This was released in 1993. Björk knows all this, but I'd want to suggest that I wondered if she needs to say her character's "In the City" when the machinations of train-like rhythms are communicating that. It's a bit of "show, don't tell" advice, but anyway. When I hear Middle Eastern instruments, I want them to open up and breathe more. Sometimes it seems vocals are sitting atop instrumentation a bit and not getting mucked in apiece with it. "Anchor Song" is very apiece. In this album, there is sensuality. There is texture, a point of view, a voice, and a relation to music that you won't get anywhere else, that can't be recreated, that you just won't find elsewhere. It's nice to revisit 90s dance too. It doesn't have to be angry with you, doesn't think you're a capitalist pig for slop-feed, doesn't need to be ironic (well, "There's More To Life Than This" is, but that is sincere in 2025, where our ironic now is something telling you you're an idiot for its full duration), so 90s dance is really cosy and trustworthy and isn't a rug-pull underneath you.

Bjork leaves me speechless. Her music is a smorgasbord of sound and influence and creativity. I eat it up like a maniac. She could sing the clothing tag on my T-shirt and make it interesting. Her phrasing and dynamics and range are just so nonstandard, it's often a controlled explosion. It stretches and morphs, but never strays too far into absurdity or avant-garde. When things get weird, we are grounded by the beat. It is infinitely danceable yet intimate. What stops this album from being perfect is some of the production on the beats and synth. It comes through as distinctly 90's, rather than timeless. In some ways it does add to the quirkiness though, and nowadays I'd say it's more "retro" than cliche or goofy. A lot of this sound is circling back to being in vogue again, and I could see people getting down with many of these songs at a 2025 party. Debut is not quite as good as Post in terms of overall strength, but it has similar high peaks and is a preview of a sound that is perfected and extended in Post. It's maybe a 4 or 4.5 but I'm rounding up because I freaking love it and I know I'm going to go on a Bjork binge after this.

Looking back you can see the transition from the sugar cubes to modern Björk starting here! Ethereal vocals with eclectic melodies - LOVE IT!

Pure weirdo pop genius.

I love how it bounces between playful and emotional ,one minute it’s all club energy, the next it feels super personal.

Beautiful top to bottom

Mjög góð plata, flott sound úr allskonar áttum sem hún fær til að koma svo flott saman

Ókei, vá.

Excellent. An album with such a unique identity and so fun. Will definitely be coming back

While I was cleaning the kitchen with the windows open in the morning listening to this album a contractor walked up and could hear the music from outside. He said “Is this Björk?!? Björk is god. Like there’s Prince and Björk is above that. I have all her vinyl (apparently one of them was $500, plus a handful of other special copies he was proud about but I don’t recall exactly). When Björk says she’s doing something all of Iceland listens. I don’t even care that you’re in a robe right now. Anyways I’m here to take care of your yard. You enjoy Björk and watch your baby I’ll take care of the rest.” Upon the end of his work Jason recommended checking out Alicia Marie and claimed they would be the new Amy Winehouse. I listened to her album and I think he has a point. Check it out. He also suggested Ren. I’ll see him again in a couple weeks. So I hope whatever we are listening to then he has something to say about it. I didn’t know much about Björk but I learned a ton from Jason and really enjoyed this album.

Extraordinary

Favorite Bjork album after Vespertine, Debut is a bolt of sunshine. From the gorgeous Venus as a Boy to the jaunty Human Behavior the album is chock full of quirky beats and melody.

Amazing album. Memories of being 10 and my big sister playing this on repeat and wondering what this voice and music were all about. 'Post' just pips it for me, but together two of the next albums of the 90s and beyond.

I love Human Behaviour, always have from the moment I first heard it on MTV in the 90s. I also absolutely adored the music video. That was, I think, the first Björk song I ever heard, but I think I've liked ever single she's ever released. But never listened to a full album. By all rights, based on how I feel about singers with similar vocal styles, I should hate Björk's voice, but I love it. I mean, her pronunciation of ghetto blaster alone is enough to make me love her. I loved this album. Easy 5 stars to me, though I suspect it's enormously polarising. 5/5

I understand the Björk hype now. That was a very good album. I like her voice and oof the beats

catchy, original, thought provoking

was chill

This is my first full Bjork album, and it definitely won't be my last!

As far as Björk goes, may be her most accessible albums of hers, that I’ve listened to at least. Debut still got a good dose of quirk to it and that is really what makes Björk great. This album changes the pace really well, flowing between dance jams like There’s Something More to Life to Like Someone in Love and it’s not jarring, it’s great. This album is trippy, it’s pretty, it’s a dance party, it’s really good. 5 stars

Cool and fun!

Out of chaos, the universe produced Bjork. What are the chances! Is Bjork proof that an underlying cosmic plan exists, and that the goal of that plan is for happiness and beauty to proliferate? I knew a few selections from Debut, but despite being a Bjork fan, I was unfamiliar with this as a whole. I fully expected to underrate this, maybe as a four, as there’s no way it could be as good as Homogenic or Medulla. But, I was blown away. This is totally a five out five for me. I can’t wait to listen to this again and again. Thank you, Bjork!

brilliant album and no one has produced anything like it before or since. stands the test of time beautifully and yet has the sense of nostalgia that makes listening to 'good' music from early 90s so enjoyable.

I think it's a masterpiece. The production is somewhat dated, but the vocals are out of this world, the songs are varied and condensed, and the overall atmosphere is mesmerising.

5 sterne

I don’t mind admitting that I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I thought I would have to sit through airy fairy wailing songs, but instead there were fantastic 90’s dance beats, strong vocals and top production and arrangements. Started strong and got better. Really struggled deciding between 4 or 5 star rating.

Strong solo debut.

This is one where Björk takes you to the club. It’s astonishing how fully formed Björk’s artistic vision was already on Debut. While she would go on to elevate her craft to sublime heights on the following three albums, this one - even though not as stylistically cohesive as Post, Homogenic, or Vespertine - contains some standout tracks: Human Behaviour, Venus as a Boy, Big Time Sensuality, Violently Happy or the closer, The Anchor Song. With Debut, Björk laid the foundation for one of the most inventive and unique bodies of work in Western pop music. Over these 11 tracks, Björk channels genres and styles (Acid House, Drum and Bass, Trip Hop and Jazz included) as if it were the easiest thing to do and her vocal performance is simply out of this world. Nellee Hooper, Björk’s producer on Debut, built her a fitting and brilliant hybrid of analog warmth and digital crunch (Roland TR 909 and sample based percussion/processed beats) to deliver her idiosyncratic vocals on top. Oh so brilliant.

Generally, I am not a fan of electronica or mainstream pop music because it can be so bland and repetitive, but this is definitely not that! This is the kind of album that I immediately started playing a second time after it was finished because I felt like I had more to discover. She has such an iconic and unique voice and I appreciate mixing various genres and instruments with electronic music.

Great.

This record is just so good. It’s a surprisingly groovy pop/dance record. Surprised no current DJ/producer has remixed any of these songs. They still hold up to today’s house tunes and could fit in any set.

She was pregnant with me when she made this 🫀

One of the best debut albums. And or amazes still.

It is just...a beautiful work of art... It combines some electronic music vibes with emotional (maybe playful) vocal and some instrumental things. As not really advanced listener, I found this album really unusual. 6/5!

Best album ive heard in a long time. 5

First impression pre listen: I've enjoyed every Björk record I've heard and this one is no exception. While I've never done a full deep dive, I've heard the more critically acclaimed/popular stuff, this album included. "Debut" isn't the record of hers that has stuck out the most, but I'm excited to listen to it again. Perhaps it's as good as "Homogenic" or "Vespertine" which are both albums I return to semi-regularly. Individual track notes: Human Behaviour Love the verse melody, catchy and unique. Fantastic eletronics. Her voice and accent is as captivating as ever. Great rhythm. Love the ethereal vocal layering. Unique piece of songwriting. Hypnotic and infectious with amazingly memorable production. Fantastic. 5/5 Crying Love the synths and the fun tempo. The lyrics contrast with the dancy instrumental, it's an interesting juxtaposition. Great chorus. Awesome delivery. The additional vocals are perfectly placed to keep the track fresh. Fantastic. 5/5 Venus As A Boy This song gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. Love the intro to this song, very interesting instrumentation. Sounds like an entirely different world. The addition of Icelandic in the lyrics is really fun. I love how much texture the strings provide. Cute lyrics. Love how the outro sort of just lands the track back down to earth. Fantastic. 5/5 There's More To Life Than This Fun clubby atmosphere. Catchy and danceable. Still has that patented weirdness. There's so much storytelling in the production. Feels like a real "lived in" experience. Clever use of space. Fantastic. 5/5 Like Someone In Love A quiet peaceful moment with some classic composition and a sweet performance. Love the harp and the background ambience. Sweet and simple. Comes at a great time in the album as well. Fantastic. 5/5 Big Time Sensuality Love the mixing here. The distant echoey vocals stand out against the thumping electronic beat. The most "Björk" lyrics ever. Love the gravitas she brings to the chorus. Catchy groove. Fantastic. 5/5 One Day Strange and alien soundscape. Deep and enchanting electronics. Wonderfully weird. Works extremely well with the nature imagery in the lyrics. Entrancing vocal performance. Fantastic. 5/5 Aeroplane Love how the ambience carries over from the previous song, then is immediately "woken up" by the horns. Very cool effect. Desperate and emotional lyrics. Frantic and askew instrumental. Pairs well with the themes of the song. Fantastic. 5/5 Come To Me Cloudy and distant atmosphere. Has a layer of ethereal beauty to it. Alluring lyrics. Great. 4.5/5 Violently Happy Strange intro. Sets up the rest of the song pretty well. Sounds dark and muted, very much a contrast to the colourful palatte of the rest of the album. Love the imagery of roaring back at the ocean. The self-destructive themes is a cool twist. Great. 4.5/5 The Anchor Song Very direct instrumentation. Very on theme, reminds me of an old seaman's dirge. Has a solemn beauty to it. Poetic lyrics. Very emotional. Amazing closer. Fantastic. 5/5 Final review: Even better than I remember. Such a rich and layered album with a huge diversity of ideas all executed brilliantly. Björk's unique voice and delivery (as cliche as it sounds) truly brings you into an entirely new realm, that's relatable with an additional sprinkle of magic as well. It's strange, but familiar at the same time. This also extends to the production, which balances bangers with artsy sonic landscapes and tasteful reimagineings of classic compositions. It can be subtle, it can be powerful and it can be catchy. It's delightfully weird, with a list of quirks and nuances that keeps it special and still sounding fresh more than 30 years later. 5/5

Pretty much everything from Bjork in the 90s was perfect. Her debut album would’ve been a shock to fans of The Sugacubes but a welcoming one. Although popular in Pop, it’s very artsy and even house music at several points. A fantastic start. 1. VENUS AS A BOY 2. HUMAN BEHAVIOUR 3. CRYING 4. BIG TIME SENSUALITY 5. COME TO ME 6. LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE 7. ONE DAY 8. VIOLENTLY HAPPY 9. THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN THIS 10. THE ANCHOR SONG 11. AEROPLANE

Love this album.

i didn’t come into this project as a bjork fan, but she’s the first artist so far that has two albums on my five star list. i tried to resist it, but i failed to consider big time sensuality. something about her music just really connects with me. i lack the vocab to describe it, but i feel it! idk! IT TAKES COURAGE 🕺🕺🕺 TO ENJOY IT 💃💃💃

Amazing Björk album. IMO she gets this style even more refined in Post, but this is a really good representation of early Björk. On her first two albums she was considered very forward thinking, incorporating a lot of electronic instrumentation into her songs. Also bonus points she is a big fan of Aphex Twin. Never let a poet lie to you.

Amazing album with some of her most iconic tracks. Although its not my favorite album of hers, I still come back to it with regularity, it really stands solid as a debut.

Great!!!

Fav: Venus As A Boy Least Fav: The Anchor Song 50% experimental electronic bangers, 50% saxophone, 100% chance of enjoyment for me

I wasn't really in the mood for this - been listening to a lot of Iron Maiden and Sepultura - but I absolutely loved this entire album! I love the way she growls! Total freak in the best way possible. Quirky, crazy genius! 5

If someone scoffs at Bjork, have them listen to this album. It's creative, primal, beautiful, and infectious.

What a banger. Love all the later Björk, too, but this is euphoric, fun, sexy, silly, everything, etc. So great.

Is it shallow to refer to the attractiveness of the artist in an album review? Because Björk is interesting, expressive, amusing, deep and fucking gorgeous. So if millions of pubescent 13 year old girls can objectify hundreds of boy-bands just because they want them to….well just ‘because’, then surely I’m permitted to as well. 
 But she’s more than that. She has such a beautiful expressive voice. I love the way she moves it around a tune. You can hear all the emotion and feeling she’s trying to put in. And it helps that I love the dance music vibe and the great production. This is a perfect amalgamation. Such a good album.

Excellent album. Very unique. True artistry. Magical. Lots of interesting and great songs

Weird girl music, let’s go!!!! I’m a fan. “There is more to life than this” sounded a lot like Coco Rosie.

What an incredible record!

An amazing album that will always remind me of high school, coming of age, discovering new music and the alternative genre.

I always have love for Bjork

The goat

One of the most incredible albums of its time. Sounds like nothing else out there. Bjork is just incredible at whatever she does.

Transcendent - fave part where she ‘leaves the room’ for a few seconds in a weirdly engrossing but of in-song narrative

Loved this. Surprisingly poppy and oh-so nineties! Also want to give a shout out to Bjork's pronunciation of "ghettoblaster".

there was a year where I regularly left the house with tiny gems glued under my eyes bc of debüt

Forgot how much I loved this album

128/1089 - Cool! Still in chronological order for Björk. Let's see how long that lasts. Strange in a good way. I like that the pitches of the percussive instruments come first with the harmonies built around them. Lots of different genres represented with a focus on more "out-there" harmonies like add 2s or diminished chords.

I love this album, Björk is one of my favourite artists of all time, I know this from front to back, in fact this is the first album on this list that I can listen to on vinyl, because I have it in my collection! I haven't listened to the full thing in a while, so maybe my mind will change, but this is one of those records that I instantly liked at first listen. Dance music from the 80's and 90's is right up my alley. Let's gooo Human Behaviour immediately sets the tone for what to expect. I know that there are some people out there who can't get on board with Björk's voice but hey, I'm not one of them. Love the background vocals on the chorus, and love her little shriek after the first chorus. Yeah, I just love this. Crying was a favourite of mine at the time. Lyrically it's extremely simple, but hey who says every song had to a poem. I don't know what is responsible for the percussion here but I love that too. I especially like the delivery of "Only if a ship would sail in, or just somebody came, and knocked on my door or just, or just something", and way she screams "care" towards the end. Yeah, good track. Venus as a Boy was one the first song of hers I listened to, and I specifically remember watching the video and loving it, and then hating the comments rationalizing it. This is one of the best songs about sex to ever be made. Or at least sexual compatability. It is also the first song that shows that Björk will sing about whatever she wants, and often that includes details about her sexual life. It's also one of the most notable appearences of her nonsense singing, which people have overanalyzed, and which I love everytime! Yeah, not much to add here, the lyrics speak for themselves, I just love this song, and the different sounds it brings to a 90's house record. There's More to Life Than This is just about feeling it man. Is it the best song of all time? No, but who cares? It's a good time, and it's a fun time. I love the little bathroom interlude too. Good message too. Yey A cover of Like Someone in Love is honestly the last thing you'd expect in an album like this, and yet it works! And it shows Björk's willingness to surprise and think outside the box. She's never let others' expectations dictate what she does with her music. I love the background noise too, it was present in There's More too, and it adds a layer to already good songs. And yeah, this song is beautiful. Can you tell I'm a fan of hers? The complete mood change from that to Big Time Sensuality brings us back to some dance music. I love this song. It's an ode to going out, having fun, and embracing the dumb things you say when drunk. And yes, it does take courage! Lovely. This second half of the album is a bit less about good accessible dance music and more about... some experimentation? Yeah, these middle tracks are more about setting a sonic landscape and exploring it. One Day is pretty straight-forward when it comes to lyrics, but I love the sounds that are added to it. Aeroplane is, for me, the stand-out in this second half. It has the same feel as its neighbouring songs, but something about it speaks to me on an extra level. Love it. Come to Me reminds me of some later Björk tracks (Possibly Maybe, Heirloom), songs that go on for a while, and don't immediately click, but then you hear them that one time and it just makes sense. I love her vocals here. This just transfixes me. I used to really like Violently Happy, but I quickly got tired of it. Probably my least favourite on the record nowadays. It's weird, because the longer it goes, the more I like it, but I feel like it shouldn't be so long? Maybe this makes no sense. The beginning is my least favourite part, definitely. Once the drums kick in I start liking it much more. Then the "breakdown" (?) after she sings "baby" happens and I don't love that. I really like the ending though! The Anchor Song is a weird place to end things on. i feel like it's hard to be indifferent with this. I like it, but it is for a specific mood. I do love the fact that even when doing a balland, Björk is never really typical. This is also the most metaphorical song in the album, and it starts showing something that will be explored in more detail greatly: Björk's tendency to be stubborn and rely only on herself (can't wait for you Vespertine). I love this album. I was expecting to not like it as much after not hearing it through for a while, but I still love it. Altough, I will say that the fact that the last two songs are my least favourite doesn't help the album. Now, I know that I am writing this mostly for myself, and no-one will ever go through my profile and see what ratings I gave to what albums but hey, I'm defending myself anyways. I love this album. Is it the best album of all time? No. Is it the best in Björk's career? No. Is it experimental and life-changing? No. But is it good? Yes! Do I like every track? Yes! Am I giving it 5 stars? Yes! Hey, I never said I was a serious reviewer. Besides, it was never a fair fight, putting a Björk album here. Love you grandmother. Bye

Absolute perfection for a debut album. Bjork brings her unique style and begins her slow domination of the avant garde and eclectic. Opening the album with human behavior is the ultimate chef’s kiss. 6 out of 5 stars.

One of the GOATs

ALBUMAZO. me gustó que sea como bastante distinto

I was excited to see this album and listened right away (although I have over 100 albums to catch up on!) The only song I was familar with is Big Time Sexuality but I enjoyed the whole album and would listen again.

Not listened to this before but this is seriously incredible

Yeah, fair play. this is absolutely incredible.

Such a banger of an album

Bjork is an artist I don't often listen to and every time am so impressed with. Her voice is haunting, the beats are sometimes danceable, sometimes melancholy and then there is surprise jazz. Fucking love it.

Bjork has quite a few perfect or damn near perfect records, but this is probably the one I’ve been re-visiting the most lately. This record came out in 1993, which is shocking, because it does not sound dated, at least compared to the majority of other popular records released this year, the Collective Counting Pearl Pumpkins Fumbling Towards the Ecstatic Verve in Guyville’s Last Splash on the River of Dreams of Flaming Lenny Kravitz. This is Bjork with the least amount of artifice and affectation, the most genuine. She’s curious, playful, sweet, and even seductive at times. When she sings about sneaking off to an island and bringing her little “jetto-blaster”, it kills me. Bjork goes on to experiment further, push the envelope, get wonderfully weird(er). It’s great, don’t get me wrong, there’s just something about this one. Maybe it’s that sweater.

Fucking incredible. Venus as a boy is such an incredible song wiw

Holy shit, this woman is turning her flesh prison inside out while pulling at the thread of her own weird artistic impulses. I've never heard anything like this. Absolutely a must listen for anyone before they die.

I’ve always loved Bjork. Her first album is a real gem. Beautiful music and lyrics.

Fantastic from start to finish.

Bjork is definitely a 'love her or hate her' kind of musician. Even scanning through reviews for this album, they are mostly either 5 or 1 with little in between. I love Bjork and this album is fantastic. I typically don't like electronic/house music but this works for me for some reason. I love her voice and I know that's a bit of a debated opinion. Like Someone In Love is really the only slow part of this album for me, the rest of it is brilliant. I don't know that I would give this five stars, it would be a strong 9/10 if I could do that. 4/5 seems too low though so 5/5 it is I suppose.

Excellent debut. Really pushes the boundaries of pop with only a little stumbling.

Seeing as I got a Bjork album just 2 days prior to this one, I felt like I knew what to expect in this album. I was so wrong. Her sound is, of course, odd (in an absolutely wonderful way). No two songs are alike, but each and every one is beautiful, Listening to her storytelling through her wonderfully weird style is truly a blessing on the ears. I was in awe over her vocals on Human Behavior in particular. She has these lovely voice cracks that appear in quite a few of the songs, and it is one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. This was a great way to kick off her solo career, and I could listen to any of these songs over and over again.

This surprised me - terrific album!

I never really got Bjork and always thought she was indulging in weirdness for its own sake. But this is such an assured, um, debut and it really works, balancing weird with accessible. Each track stands on its own two feet, but it also feels cohesive as an album. I get Bjork.

On this day of Lorde releasing her long awaited single What Was That, I acknowledge that without Björk, we may not have had Lorde at all. Nor so many of the cool aughties indie artists (ok i'm mostly thinking about Imogen Heap) that inspired our best pop legends today (Ariana Grande, Laufey, the boygenius folks, etc.) Iconic, innovative, thought-provoking. Sure, I can see how I dismissed this as just plain weird and confusing when I was younger, but with more context from this project + my own expanded musical taste, I can see how this album must have sounded so unique and exciting at the time.

Bjork love u

Gorgeous

Insant mood revitalizer. When I clicked play, it immediately put a smile on my face. This is so good

Ayyyye gimme a pulled Björk sandwich cuz I’m eating this shit up! All bangers. Human Behavior and Big Time Sensuality are my favs. 4.5/5 rating for me. Björk is a genius, she knows how to groove and she knows how to make you question what music can even be. It kinda feels like outsider music but with a crazy understanding of musical structure. BJÖRK BJÖRK BJÖRK BJÖRK BJÖRK

When it was really cold and I had to take the bus to school, I'd listen to this on my walkman. I remember looking out the window at the icy trees and feel like "Venus as a Boy" was the perfect soundtrack. This whole album also was the sound track to some of my first experiments with drugs. Smoking pot, or, rather, bottle toking and then listening to Debut was like entering a magical universe. I'm not one for the Terence McKenna-esque psychedelic trips, but lots of hash and Bjork was my thing, as was dextromethorphan, but maybe I'll wait for another relevant album to tell that story.

Björk when she still believed in beats. 🦑

A ethereal poppy queen

Fantastic, quirky debut.

I forgot how familiar I was with this one. It's been so long it was almost like listening for the first time again. Human Behaviour and Venus as a Boy are the ones I return to most often, but this is great start to finish. I especially appreciated Aeroplane and Come to Me with this listen. But I chose There's More to Life Than This for my playlist, because I love those moments where she takes you outside like a friend so you can hear her over the house music at the party. She's always come across to me as very assured in her artistry, even in these early days in her life as a recording artist. She repairs the neural pathways in my brain. It's Björk's world, and I'm just (happily) living in it.

Bjork at her simplest, yet still very beautiful regardless. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. First time I’ve given Bjork a 5, though Vulnicura would’ve probably gotten the nod had it ended after Track 7. It’s a hell of a solo debut – we haven’t gotten any of her work with The Sugarcubes yet, but I know they’ve got an album on the list. I’ll be really interested to see how different this is when that album comes around, because of all the Bjork albums we’ve gotten so far, this is the most… “normal”. Certainly the most commercially accessible, at the very least. This is a much prettier, nicer, & happier album than either Vulnicura & Medulla – lots of house/club tracks, some lovely vocals throughout that are gliding on some smooth trip-hop / ambience-driven instrumentals, & some great sound design / production throughout to create an atmosphere of Bjork just taking a long trip in the city. It makes for a breezy 48 minutes, and I don’t think there’s a bad track here; maybe a few dull moments spurred on by long outros, but nothing overwhelmingly distracting from how good this tends to be. For 1993, I don’t know how much this was necessarily rocking the boat, but it does feel like the seeds for something bigger for pop music were being planted here. Trip-hop was in full effect, sure, but this feels like the most it’s been sort of commercially blended with pop music’s sensibilities to this point in 1993. It’s also showcasing a variety of styles that could be explored within the soundscape of trip-hop itself. A track like “The Anchor Song” is wildly different from “Like Someone In Love”, & “Like Someone In Love” couldn’t be more different from “There’s More to Life Than This”, but their instrumental bases make them fit like a glove in the full album experience. Bjork’s vocals certainly help – still a little ragged and loose, as they have been on her other albums, but they’re a bit stronger here, used as a complimentary instrument to enhance the instrumentals, as opposed to a primary lead relying on the emotional pull. All the vocal approaches she’s taken so far have been valid, but they clicked really nicely on this one, just because this album feels simpler & more straightforward than the other ones we’ve gotten. The lyricism being streamlined, yet still vivid, also helps a lot; everything feels pretty grounded in terms of how one might deal with a lot of the situations presented on this album, but Bjork’s imagery gives it just enough of a grandiose scale to give each track a gravitas it might not have earned otherwise. I really liked this – Bjork has certainly won me over on account of her ambition, and the earliest pieces of that ambition seem to be rooted here. I wouldn’t say this does anything particularly crazy, but Bjork is radical in just being herself on this album. It’s a welcome style at a point in time musically dominated by the bombastic, larger than life attitude portrayed by a lot of rock/grunge stars, or the pop stars carrying themselves with the poise of an untouchable superstar. Bjork is… just a lady, going around the city, partying at the club, gazing at the stars, and feeling a little lovey-dovey at times. A quaint enough journey, elevated by the gravitas she naturally & effortlessly infuses into each track. It makes for a damn good album, and a 5 for me.

This really works. It can be a bit jarring at first to go from world music to club beats to acoustic, and that might be off putting in lesser albums, but here I kind of settled into it. It feels less like I’m listening to Bjork do a bunch of different styles and more like I’m just following her along through life. Every song painting a scene, every word part of a story or feeling or experience she is sharing with me. Really good stuff.

# Album Name: Debut # Artist: Bjork # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Well, i wasnt sure what to expect out of Bjork if im honest. Turns out i have heard a few of the main tracks before. The style of music wasnt what i was expecting though. Its quite house/dance. I thought she would be a lot more weird. Its got a slight banging vibe to some of the tracks. Quite good. The album opens well. The first three songs are very good. This is genuinely a very good listen. I just had to give it time. I'd probably give this a 4.5. But ill go with a low 5 because ive actually came back to this album multiple times since that first listen. Even though i have rated a 5 i wouldnt class it up there with the best of them. I just really enjoyed this. Fuck me dead, am i a closet Bjork fan?! I think i am. # Top Tunes: Human behaviour / Venus / BT Sensuality / crying / One day / Come to me # Would I listen to it again? Yes

I like it

I fell in love- and then had a rocky relationship with Bjork for many years. It was difficult in later years. My wife forbade me from seeing(listening) to her. Guilty pleasure for many years. But now it’s over. She and I have moved on. She got old and crazy. Maybe she always was. But I can still remember the beginning…..

Essential artist, essential release.

I love Bjork so much and this album really has all the quirks and musical themes she expands upon in later albums. I want her to dj at my birthday, wedding, and funeral.

So so so good. I love bjork and this was great. The sound is just so weird but good and cool. It’s cohesive throughout the album while also being different at the same time which is nice. I also LOVE this album cover idk why. This is amazing and has some of my favorite songs on here like play dead is perfection. i was listening to this while walking through georgetown in the rain and i would do it again. first time hearing anchor song and i really really liked it

I've loved her since the Sugar Cubes. Bjork is one of one. Huma Behavior is so freaking good and the album just oes from there...

Grew up with this album, absolute masterpiece.

Exquisite

It's just really that good.

Loved every minute of it

As fantastic as this album is, it really is just a tiny foreshadowing of Bjork as a solo artist. She has that distinct voice and range, and Debut features it well. Her arc as a solo artist just kept going further and further into new territory, and this is her first step outside a group, doing her own thing. Brilliant Debut, brilliant career.

Tak właśnie powinno się debiutować. Ta płyta ma własną tożsamość, jest określona, odważna, niesamowicie oryginalna. Bjork ma głos anioła i diabelski talent. Czasami jak dla mnie jest zbyt elektronicznie, nie jest to płyta do słuchania dzień w dzień, ale i tak ją kocham, mimo że jest to miłość trudna, bo ten gatunek nie jest w moim typie. Jaki trzeba mieć talent, aby zmusić mnie do pokochania elektroniki? 9/10

I can’t believe that I find myself leaving a five star review for a Björk album. This is what the generator is all about!

Exceptional album

Flawless album by a beautiful Icelandic goddess!

Hits you like a ton of bricks

This is an amazing example of why I love to listen to albums. Good ones take you on a journey and are almost like a movie. This one does it really well. It’s nothing you should listen to in the background. It’s an album that deserves your full attention.

This really is a phenomenal culturally important album. I am embarrassed that i have never owned a copy in any format yet I know it so well. It is full of elements of jazz, hip hop, electronic and straightforward indie. Some incredible standout tracks. I do need to own a copy of this album. It received 5 stars just by looking at the tracklisting. Big Time Sensuality is such an amazing song

Increasingly convinced. Weird production, I get the experience of joining bjork in a cubicle. What’s not to like

This is pretty easily my favorite of hers, probably a given since it's her most accessible. I've only got through Medulla so not quite done with her stuff. It does feel like 90s electronic Kate Bush. One of my favorite pop albums ever and certainly one of the most innovative. Toughest part of the review is deciding whether to give a perfect score or not. I will, I think any potential qualms I might have with it are papered over by how creative it is. 10th perfect score, album #586 Rating: 5.0

One of the greatest albums ever made

YUMMMMMMMMMM. this is SUCH a great album. I listened to it the first time a month ago and fell in love with Come To Me and Venus is a Boy. It's just beautiful. Her singing with the breakbeats stuff and just fusd0fiojsfsifoi it's amazing. fav song: Venus is a Boy

Human Behavior