song of the day: june 13/2011

Bjork - Hyperballad

Album: Post [1995]

after the success of "debut", the pressure was on bjork to surpass that album's creative, mesmerizing electronic pop. she more than delivered with 1995's "post"; from the menacing opening "army of me", it's clear that this album was not the second coming of "debut". the songs' production and arrangements all aim for, and accomplish, more. the album features lots of different producers, who helped bjork incorporate a spectrum of electronic and orchestral styles into songs like "hyperballad". as for the song's meaning, the notion of bjork singing about throwing things off a cliff can be viewed in many ways, but it seems as though it is her way of sublimating destructive impulses, including those that are self-destructive. there is tons of imagery and reflection involved as well, and the listener can easily picture bjork getting up early to revel in the beautiful view of ocean waves crashing against the cliff walls. the morning ritual described is a way for her to act out and still be in touch with her anger and destructiveness so that she can feel okay returning to the stability, sweetness, or gentleness of a relationship. bjork finds new ways of expressing timeworn emotions like love, lust, and yearning in abstractly precise lyrics, and "post"s emotional peaks and valleys are more extreme than "debut"s. it's the work of a constantly changing artist, and post proves that as bjork moves toward more ambitious, complex music, she usually surpasses herself.

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