-Did you grow up in a family/place where the topic was taboo?

-Did people say they “liked” Björk to sound cool?

-Do others think it’s pretentious to listen to Björk nowadays?

-Were you afraid of sharing her music because your friends might not understand it?

all reviews @ link in bio!

Homogenic

Björk (1997)

Written: June 8, 2026

Björk just might be the best vocalist I’ve ever heard. That’s not an understatement. Although my view is a little limited. I really love vocalists that define their own style, not necessarily vocalists that are extremely technically sound. For instance, I prefer a singer like Thom Yorke over a singer who technically has a higher vocal range, like Mariah Carey. While Yorke is by no means lacking in the technical department, I prefer him for his expression and the amount of ways that he can contort his voice. Similarly, the sheer amount of vocal variety that Björk possesses is just insane. Listen to literally any of her songs and you’ll see what I mean.

Honestly, Homogenic is probably the happiest album I’ve reviewed so far. That… speaks a lot about the albums I’ve talked about. While it definitely has sad themes and dark imagery, there is a lot of energy and positivity to be gleaned from it. I think tracks like “Hunter,” “5 Years,” and “Pluto” really give that “warrior” vibe to the album. The cover itself is a depiction of Björk, who reimagined herself to be an “emotional warrior.” Honestly, the cover is terrifying, but that doesn’t matter.

Another thing I’ve gathered from Homogenic is its statement about Björk’s homeland, Iceland (I have no idea why Iceland is so good for music). While some songs sound like Iceland’s beautiful and lush scenery, featuring orchestras and swelling melodies, others give a much more cyberpunk and electronic vibe. It masterfully contrasts the beauty of the island with the technological progress that’s somewhat taken over so much of the world, Iceland included.

Our journey begins, of course, with “Hunter.” “Hunter” pretty much encapsulates the album. I think this is what Björk feels like when she looks at the album cover. I just love the use of the orchestra in this song. On the one hand, there are smooth, flowing strings that give the verses a perfect ‘smooth’ feel. On the other, there are sharp, staccato stabs that give an unnatural feeling. Oh, and Björk’s vocals. How could I forget? She hits some ridiculously high notes on this song. I feel like, despite her repeating the line “I’m the hunter” a dozen times throughout the song, it feels different every time. She varies her delivery each time enough so that it stays engaging. Only a true master can deliver the same lyrics and the same melody over and over again, and still make it different each time.

“If travel is searching”
And home what’s been found
I’m not stopping
I’m going hunting
I’m the hunter
I’ll bring back the goods
But I don’t know when”

I had a really hard time with these lyrics. Fortunately, I don’t need to figure it out myself when Björk has spoken about the backstory! I love the internet sometimes. According to her, “Hunter” was inspired by a conversation with her grandmother. The conversation was about the two types of birds in the world; one of which stays in its nest for its entire life, and the other goes out and experiences everything. In this song, Björk takes the role of the second bird, speaking about her experiences writing Homogenic. Following Debut and Post, two of her most successful albums, she felt like she had to go “hunting” for more music to write. Honestly, I prefer the rawer, more intimate version of Björk we see on Vespertine, but that’s not a knock against Homogenic. It’s a different vibe, but great nonetheless.

“Jóga” is the other bird. It strips a lot of the instrumentation we see on “Hunter.” Well, I thought it did. On further listening, its electronic percussion is really out of there. But other than the percussion and vocals, the only other real part of the song is the strings. And damn, the strings here are insane. It’s really hard to keep track of one of the instruments because the whole song feels like a whirlwind of orchestration. It creates a beautiful soundscape while keeping the main parts intact. The focus the entire time is on Björk’s vocals, but a keen ear will appreciate every singer layer provided.

Lyrically, this song contains the famous lyric: “State of emergency is where I want to be”

“All these accidents that happen
Follow the dot
Coincidences make sense
Only with you
You don’t have to speak

I feel
Emotional landscapes
They puzzle me”

I think the “state of emergency” line refers to an emotional or physical distress, though it’s contrasted heavily by the song’s instrumentation. It’s a weird juxtaposition combining an urgent emotional state with the grounding stability of the Earth, represented by the swelling strings. No matter where the song goes, it’ll always come back to the strings.

I think Thom Yorke had a crush on Björk. Whenever he talked about her, he’d always kick his feet in their air and giggle. Okay, he didn’t actually do that, but he might as well have. He’s always said that this song, “Unravel,” was his favorite song, period. Honestly, he might be onto something. It’s really clear how much of Radiohead's later work was influenced by Homogenic, even giving us a full cover of “Unravel.” Songs like “Nude,” “Daydreaming,” and “How to Disappear Completely,” to me, are reminiscent of this song.

The song itself features an exceedingly simple percussion part, pretty much just featuring drums on the first beat of every measure. The focus is on the ambient instrumentation. The synths and strings playing in the back, the soft shimmering keyboards that give the song a little extra something. And of course, Björk’s vocals.

“While you are away
My heart comes undone
Slowly unravels in a ball of yarn

The devil collects it
With a grin
Our love
In a ball of yarn”

The songs’ lyricism explores the metaphor of the devil and the yarn. She describes a heart as a ball of yarn, one that the devil will slowly pull at, should you let him. However, the song ends up actually being quite optimistic. Towards the end of the song, we get a change in mood.

“And when you come back
We’ll have to make new love
He’ll never return it”

Björk vows to make new love, finding that even with an unravelled heart, there’s always room for a new ball of yarn.

Following that beauty of a song, we get another beauty of a song. They’re completely different types of beauties, however. “Bachelorette” is completely brimming with complex and layered instrumentation. A piano takes the role of the bass, along with the orchestra we’ve grown accustomed to at this point. The electronic beat drives the song in a way that makes it feel off. A bachelorette who doesn’t truly want her bride. It amazes me how much the production allows for the choruses to feel empty. Without the strings or pianos, along with a drop in intensity from the vocals, the track gets a sudden calm. That calm is short lived, as it launches into another verse again. 

“I’m a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl
You’re the bird on the brim
Hypnotised by the whirl
Drink me, make me feel real
Wet your beak in the stream
Game we’re playing is life”

The delivery of the last line: “I’m the branch that you break” is something else. As the song ends, it’s replaced by an accordion. It feels off, but it really fits in some odd way. I think these lyrics, as I said previously, are about forced marriage. A joining that’s more of a power play than real love. Björk begs for someone to make her feel real, to give her authentic love that’s been robbed from her. That’s where all the angst comes from, the quietly pent-up anger of a mistreated woman.

I’ll do a short review today. Every song is worthy of mention, but I’ll finish off with “5 Years.” The electronic percussion is really odd here. It’s honestly something I’d expect more from Aphex Twin than Björk. It’s a departure from the acoustic, orchestral music we’ve grown accustomed to in the first half of the album. 

“You think you’re denying me of something
Well, I’ve got plenty
You’re the one who’s missing out
But you won’t notice
Till after five years
If you live that long”

The song is a call out against emotional cowards. People who talk big, but can’t sustain an intimate relationship. Someone who's fearless, but is terrified of a comfortable relationship. Of opening up to someone. I think this song also has one of Björk’s best vocal performances. The way she growls some of the words makes it feel less like a delivery of her lyrics, and more like she’s personally berating me about being a coward. How kind of her.

In the end, I think Homogenic is a masterpiece. It perfectly juxtaposes intimacy and angst, panic and stability, industrialization and natural beauty. It’s an album about the world, in all its beauty and all its contradictions.

1. Hunter: 88/10
2. Jóga: 93/100
3. Unravel: 92/100
4. Bachelorette: 88/10
5. All Neon Like: 81/100
6. 5 Years: 83/100
7. Immature: 83/100
8. Alarm Call: 78/100
9. Pluto: 81/100
10. All Is Full of Love: 85/100

Overall: 82/100

I’ve also included some pictures from Nobuyoshi Araki’s Telegram photoshoot as well since I’ve noticed it’s the same skirt. (the last 2 pics)

My local record store has both records for sale but I only have one on my budget. I'm curious which one you think is more worthwhile.

I’m a fan of Björk, both as an artist and as a person: her wit, her uniqueness, her visuals and sounds are quite a catch.

A note up front: I’m not confident attributing specific lyrics to specific relationships, so I’m not claiming that here. What I have is a timeline of her 90s relationships, built mostly from period magazines and interviews, and I’m hoping the fans who know her discography best can tell me where the music lines up with it and where it doesn’t.

In 2024 I got curious about how her time with Tricky and Goldie might have fed into Post and Homogenic, and it grew from there. I left out her family and anything she hasn’t spoken about publicly.

Do you read those albums (and others) as tied to what was happening in her life, or as better kept separate from it? Happy to share the timeline if people are interested.

found it in pagan poetry uncensored music video.

I need to be VERY sure pls help me out cus I wanna make it my pfp

There’s a local theatre showing it with live musicians doing the score.
I don’t know much about it. I’ll probably go anyway but just curious

Hey guys! I really want to be Björk's Homogenic outfit for halloween, but I can't find good copycat outfit pieces :( could yall help me plz? Thanks so much!!

“Enjoy” off of Post is the #1 trending song right now on my app Corus. I made Corus because I wanted a community of music lovers that could share with each other their favorite songs daily. I figured it would be a much more fun way to discover music, rather than our Spotify algorithms. Come check it out and follow the other 132 people who have shared a Bjork song. It’s also a really cool way to hear songs by her you may not know yet, and see what else that user is into. Happy to answer any questions!

https://www.discogs.com/release/817385-Bj%C3%B6rk-Human-Behaviour-Remixes-Dimitri

Absolutely original tracks, splendid lyrics, sound married with form, custom instruments plus the most innovative world around it (the first music app, scientific concerts, school curriculum): BIOPHILIA

Está increible esta página para hacer rankings !! Escuché la discografía completa de Björk en orden durante un mes y le puse nota a cada disco:

1. Vespertine — 10
2. Homogenic — 10
3. Vulnicura — 9,5
4. Post — 9,5
5. Fossora — 9
6. Debut — 9
7. Medúlla — 8,5
8. Utopia — 8
9. Biophilia — 7
10. Volta — 6,5 (perdón, Earth Intruders)

¿Qué cambiarían? Si alguien defiende Biophilia arriba de Fossora, quiero argumentos.

Link for the bootleg: The Sugarcubes - Live @ Marcus Amphitheater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WI, USA, June, 29th (29-06-1989) - YouTube

This is the first bootleg on which I can certainly say that Björk is much more dominant than Einar: it is her who speaks with the audience mostly, it is her who does not let Einar intertupt her anymore. She clearly gained more self-consciouness compared to their early bootlegs. And it sounds so good! Though the concert unravels slowly, the last three tracks sung, Speed is the Key, Delicious Demon and Blue Eyed Pop, are literally a pure artistry of her voice. This is such an excellent performance! Still, there is one BUT. Sugarcubes perform only as an opening act for New Order, therefore the concert is shortened to only 14 tracks, that is, by one third. So when you are already completely immersed in Sugarcubes sound, suddenly comes the end. Shame. Therefore, though a great performance, I am missing more. 8/10

was in the car with a friend the other day and Bjork literally was just shouting. the entire time. I loved it but I can't find the song anywhere. Chat GPT has failed me completely.

She literally just went AAAAAAAAAAAA..... AAAAAAAAAAAAA. the whole time.

Can this sub help me locate the song?

Sorry if someone has already asked, but is anyone else seeing Vespertine Live replacing Hidden Place's live version with the studio version? If so, does anyone know why? It wasn't particularly my favorite, as I much prefer Biophilia's rendition, but still curious!

I want to get into Björk but I'm not sure where I should start listening. What are your recommendations for songs/albums?

I'm curious about where people hear the start of the measure in "Venus As A Boy." This version of the song with more 'traditional' drums autoplayed and I got really confused, since I hear beat one at the "He" in the chorus, instead of at "boy" like here. The interpretation in this remix is also what I saw in unofficial sheet music for the song. Am I the only one who hears it differently?

Edit: There's a mockup demonstration in the comments with a stock drum beat

Before I start venting, I need you to stay with me, and understand that she's been supportive to me all the way for this trouble-some year. I'm just going through some troubles in life, and I like to reflect on my comfort artists. What I'm trying to say is, I ADORE Bjork, but I'm in a dead-end. That being said..

I can't help but being constantly bothered each time a song revolves around the sensual side of things she reflects at. Like, if you pay attention to it, you could claim that most of her ENTIRE discography revolves around it, and it often scares me.

Bjork, personally, has affected a very tender and serious part of me. Projects like Homogenic, partly Vespertine, Biophilia, Vulnicura and Fossora - albums, which as I interpret them, have not much to do with sex itself (again, partly Vespertine). I fell in love with a side of Bjork's that in my eyes have to do with thyself alone, and embracing change in life.

I wish I could see that part in the parts of her art that this post is about, but it feels like a literal dead end to me. The soonest I hear about something implying "sensuality", just turns me off, like that's somewhat of "border" I'm denying to get though.

Maybe this is too much of a serious post, and I should talk to a psychiatrist, idk - but I'm also so curious to see what others believe on this side of hers! Perhaps I stand alone at this, perhaps not. If so, I'm so open for a conversation.