Black Lake (song)

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"Black Lake"
Song by Björk
from the album Vulnicura
Released20 January 2015
Genre
Length10:08
LabelOne Little Indian
Songwriter(s)Björk
Producer(s)

"Black Lake" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk. It appears on her eighth studio album Vulnicura (2015). At ten minutes and eight seconds, it is the longest song to appear on one of her studio albums.

Like many tracks on Vulnicura, "Black Lake" prominently features string arrangements juxtaposed with electronic beats. Lyrically, the song takes inspiration from the dissolution of Björk's relationship with contemporary artist Matthew Barney. The liner notes of Vulnicura indicate the song takes place two months after the end of the relationship.[1]

Composition[edit]

The longest song of its parent electronic and avant-garde album Vulnicura,[2][3][4] "Black Lake" has been described as having folk influences, as well as being a torch song.[5] Its lyrical composition describes the aftermath of her separation from ex-partner Matthew Barney,[6][7] with verses including lines such as "My soul torn apart / My spirit is broken"[8] and "Family was always / Our sacred mutual mission / Which you abandoned".[9]

Björk herself has characterized the song as representing "forgiveness" and how she perceived the concept as the "only way to move forward emotionally" in the situation, as well as that each verse represents a different moment in time, in a similar fashion to her 1996 song "Possibly Maybe".[10] Between each verse are fermatas that occasionally last up to nearly thirty seconds following a stiff suspension of the strings,[11] which according to Björk, represent "that one emotion when you’re stuck", adding that though difficult, "it’s also the only way to escape the pain, just going back and having another go, trying to make another verse."[10]

Music video[edit]

A music video was made for "Black Lake", directed by Andrew Thomas Huang, commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art,[12] and filmed in Iceland approximately half an hour from Björk's home.[13] After appearing exclusively at its respective MoMA exhibit, the video later received a wider release on YouTube.[14] The trailer for the video features Björk naked, lying in a dirt patch with her body spilt in half from right side to left.[12]

Synopsis[edit]

The video first depicts Björk singing in the volcanic wilderness, prior to subsequent scenes of blue lava erupting. The video ends with Björk wearing a pink cape and walking into a greener, foggy valley.[15][16]

Reception[edit]

The music video for "Black Lake" was well-received by critics. Liv Siddall of Dazed voiced that the video was "the lovechild of a guild of some of the most talented and Björk-ready artists working today,"[17] while Rolling Stone's Jon Blistein stated that it was "striking" and "beautifully intense".[16] Jamieson Cox of The Verge additionally remarked that the music video made "for a draining, memorable viewing experience",[15] and Stereogum's Gabriela Tully Claymore added that the lack of any mask on Björk's face "[added] an extra layer of exposure to the already raw song."[18]

Critical reception[edit]

"Black Lake" received highly positive reviews, with many critics deeming it a highlight of Vulnicura. Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork considered the song to be the centerpiece of the album, calling it a "masterwork of balancing elements".[6] The Line of Best Fit's Robby Ritacco highlighted the song's "brooding tension" and praised the song for "unleashing all five stages of grief in near unison",[19] while Jason Lipshutz of Billboard remarked that with the song, Björk "[released] the fluid fury of a woman scorned."[9] The New York Times' Jon Pareles additionally stated that the song's "long-sustained chords" evoked "stretches of unbearable solitude".[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Björk (20 January 2015). Vulnicura (Liner notes).
  2. ^ Menkes, Basti (1 March 2015). "Björk - Vulnicura". Critic Te Ārohi. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  3. ^ Paton, Daniel (22 January 2015). "Björk – Vulnicura". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Björk: Vulnicura". Slant Magazine. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  5. ^ Powers, Ann (21 January 2015). "Bjork's 'Vulnicura': An Inquiry Into Melodrama". NPR. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b St. Asaph, Katherine (23 January 2015). "Björk – Vulnicura". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  7. ^ Ross, Alex (14 February 2015). "How Björk broke the sound barrier". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (21 January 2015). "A Heart Broken and Dissected". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (21 January 2015). "Björk's New Album Has a 10-Minute Diss Track About Matthew Barney". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b Magnússon, Haukur S (6 February 2015). "Björk's Folk Music". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  11. ^ Ho Bynum, Taylor (10 March 2015). "Björk's Healing Music". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b Armstrong, Annie (22 February 2016). "Björk Takes You Behind the Scenes of 'Black Lake'". Vice. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  13. ^ Monroe, Jazz (6 September 2016). "Björk: With all the Earth's Electricity". Crack. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  14. ^ Gordon, Jeremy (9 June 2015). "Björk Shares Intense, 10-Minute "Black Lake" Video". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  15. ^ a b Cox, Jamieson (10 June 2015). "Watch Björk's harrowing, grand 'Black Lake' video". The Verge. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  16. ^ a b Blistein, Jon (9 June 2015). "Björk Suffers Torment, Finds Renewal in 'Black Lake' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  17. ^ Siddall, Liv (9 June 2015). "Björk – Black Lake". Dazed. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  18. ^ Tully Claymore, Gabriela (9 June 2015). "Björk – "Black Lake" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  19. ^ Ritacco, Robby (30 January 2015). "Björk – Vulnicura". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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