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Björk

Björk

ALL ARTIST INFO IS PULLED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
IF YOU REPRESENT THIS ARTIST AND WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY YOUR PAGE OR UPDATE THE INFO, Click Here
birthday
21st
November, 1965
Birth Place
Reykjav k, Iceland
Birth Sign
scorpio
Biography

Björk Guðmundsdóttir is one of the most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful singers to ever come from Iceland. Born in Reykjavík on November 21, 1965, the Icelandic singer and songwriter is known for her innovation in the genres of art pop, avant-garde, experimental, and electronic music. 

She released her album Debut in 1993, followed by two more records in the ’90s that kick-started her career and helped her gain worldwide fame. The records that followed include Volta, Vespertine, Utopia, Vulnicura, Biophilia, and Medúlla. 

With a four-decade career, a slew of Grammy Awards, and even a nomination for an Academy Award, Björk is one of the biggest names in avant-garde music. Her eclectic musical style defies categorization, and her wildly experimental outfits have to be seen to be believed. Get to know the artist better by reading below.

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instruments played
flute
Piano
Vocals
Associated Acts

The Sugarcubes Kukl Mark Bell Tappi T -karrass Bj rk Gu mundsd ttir & tr - Gu mundar Ing lfssonar Sj n Arca

Children

2

Genres

Art pop avant-garde electronica experimental

Occupation

Singer songwriter record producer actress composer DJ

Partners

Matthew Barney (2000 2013)

Spouses

r Eldon (m. 1986; div. 1987)

Website

bjork.com

Years Active

1975 present

Name

Björk

Nationality

Iceland

Wiki Link

Björk's Early Life

Born to an environmental activist mother and a union leader father, Björk grew up a child of divorce, living with her mother and stepfather.  The family spent time in a commune, and Björk went on to study piano and flute at a prestigious school in Iceland's capital. One of her first performances was a rendition of the Tina Charles song "I Love to Love" for a school recital, which was then sent to a local radio station. As a result of the recording, Björk was signed to an Icelandic label at just 11 years old. She released one self-titled album as a child singer on December 18, 1977.  After releasing the first and only record of her childhood, Björk went on to get involved in the Icelandic punk scene during her teenage years.

Getting Into Music 

  • Bjork's earliest bands were an all-girl punk outfit called Spit and Snot, a jazz fusion band called Exodus, and another band called JAM80. In the early 80s, she joined forces with Jakob Magnússon to form Tappi Tíkarrass, her fourth band and the most successful up to that point. Later, she was part of the Icelandic group Kukl, a band that went on to become the first Icelandic act to play at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. 
  • The singer has cited Brian Eno, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Kraftwerk, Mark Bell, Chaka Khan, Abida Perveen, and others as key musical influences of hers.
  • Bjork became a member of The Sugarcubes in the 1980s and served as the band's lead singer until their breakup in 1992. Rolling Stone described the band as "The biggest rock band to emerge from Iceland. 

Bjork Goes Solo 

The artist moved to London shortly after to launch her solo career with the album Debut. Since then, she's scored several top-20 singles in the UK and other parts of the world, including "Big Time Sensuality," "Violently Happy," "Hyperballad," "It's Oh So Quiet," "Army of Me," and "Play Dead."  Debut became an international hit following its release in 1993, and it marked a turning point in Bjork's career when she started heading in a new artistic direction. The record was made with help from producer Nellee Hooper, who had previously worked with trip-hop legends Massive Attack.  Following the release of several successful records in the 90s, the artist maintained an influential presence in the industry during the first decade of the new millennium. Bjork worked with some of the biggest names in the international music industry during the 2000s, including legendary producer Timbaland. In New York City, the MoMA hosted an exhibition on Bjork in 2015 that featured outfits, stage props, and other memorabilia from throughout the musician's career. A video installation of the "Black Lake" music video was also featured in the exhibition.  One of Bjork's most successful albums of recent years was 2015's Vulnicura, an album that features lyrics about the singer's breakup with her longtime partner Matthew Barney. Reviewers praised the record, comparing it to the works of Madonna and Beyonce. After the release of Vulnicura, Bjork's next new album was Utopia, which was released on November 24, 2017. The record was produced by the artist with assistance from Arca and Rabit.

Films and Music Videos 

Bjork's acting career has spanned several decades and included roles in the Lars von Trier film Dancer in the Dark and the Icelandic film The Juniper Tree.  She frequently works with film director Michel Gondry, director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, on her music videos. Gondry has directed the videos for "Crystalline," "Declare Independence," "Bachelorette," "Jóga," "Hyper-Ballad," "Isobel," "Army of Me," and "Human Behaviour," a total of eight videos dating back to 1993.

Bjork’s Long List of Awards 

Bjork is the recipient of multiple Brit Awards, Cannes Film Festival Awards (including a Best Actress Award), ASCAP Awards, and more.  Since the start of her career, outlets based in Iceland, the United States, the United Kingdom, and more have included her on lists of the most influential artists – and people in the world. The most notable instance of this was Time Magazine naming her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015. Bjork has received 15 total Grammy Award nominations.

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