A lot has been happening in the world of Icelandic pop icon Björk of late. Not only is she working on a top secret new project, she premiered a new music video on her website Monday and is making headlines for her opposition to the foreign takeover of an Icelandic geothermal power company. Just so you have all your Björk-related talking points ready for the next big gay cocktail party of the summer season, let’s break it all down in point form:
1. Björk’s new song is called “The Comet Song” and it appears on the soundtrack for The Moomins and The Comet Chase, a new animated film based on the classic picture books by author Tove Jansson. The music video for the song premiered yesterday on Björk’s website and all funds generated from the track will go to UNICEF Pakistan children’s charities. (SO DON’T STEAL IT.)
2. In an extensive interview with the Reykjavik Grapevine, Björk discussed a host of recent collaborations, including her new EP with The Dirty Projectors, and alluded to a top secret new project, but she was reticent to elaborate for fear of jinxing it.
3. Björk has joined a movement backed by 85 percent of Icelanders that is pushing the country’s government to hold a referendum on foreign energy takeovers of local, privately-owned resource companies. The issue arose when Canadian energy giant Magma announced it would complete its buyout of local geothermal energy supplier HS Orka. As a result of her public opposition, Björk has weathered a series of personal attacks in the Icelandic media over the past month.
“If I do not harness the media attention that’s available to me and use to raise awareness of what’s going on, it is a crime, plain and simple. It would burden my conscience,” she told the Grapevine. “Not using that opportunity would mean disregarding deeply held beliefs of mine. My choice is thus: either I commit a crime, or I take this all the way. And I’ve made my decision.”
4. NPR’s “All Things Considered” recently examined the power of Björk’s “transcendent voice” as part of its ongoing series, 50 Great Voices. She also clarified to the program’s host exactly how her name is pronounced: “I usually say it rhymes with jerk.”
There you have it. Feel free to print out this blog post to read these points aloud to your fellow cocktail party guests.
Why is she wearing a green tarpolin and a star on her head, oh wait I see, she pretending to be a xmas tree.