A Time Machine in a Song: The Creation of a New Classic for a Cause.
Written by Eva Lynch
For years, Björk has been following the open net pen farming crisis which has been unfolding in Iceland, where farms alter the genetic structure of their fish to accelerate their development and it results in many illnesses and parasites which are then transmitted to Indigenous fish populations when the relaxed regulations allow for fish from these farms to leak into rivers. This summer, she was encouraged to double-down on her efforts and call to action as the crisis reached new heights, and released “Oral” with Rosalía.
Both singers and their record companies agreed to donate the funds from the single to AEGIS, a non-profit organization which combats open pen fish farming in Iceland and supports the people of Seyðisfjörour in their environmental campaign against intensive salmon farming. All funds raised will support legal fees for protesters, taking action to stop the development of intensive farms that harm wildlife, deform fish, and pose risks to salmon's DNA and survival. When Björk first reached out to Rosalía, she shared that there was a similar crisis in Argentina and Chile and that without a proper legal framework the oceans are being devastated. With “Oral,” they hope that by bringing attention to the harm of fish farming there might be a chance to reverse the damage that has been done, before it’s too late.
In an exclusive interview with Reykjavík Grapevine, Björk shared that she wrote this song around 20 years ago, when working on her 2001 album Vespertine, and even experimented with creating a dancehall beat herself before deciding it was ultimately too poppy for the sound she was going for. So she put it aside, and the song became lost to time. She went to her manager who keeps all of her archives and demos to see if he could find it again, but couldn’t remember the name of it and in the end she only rediscovered it this spring. Listening back to the song and thinking about her vision for its final form, she thought of Rosalía’s latest album which explored and experimented with incorporating reggaeton and played with similar sounds. She says that Rosalía’s has been a friend for years and collaborating on this song was particularly special, because Rosalía is the same age Björk was when she first recorded it, so using that original recording, Björk found that their same-aged voices on the recording merged in a creative and refreshing way, and resonated to create something elegant and elevated. When relistening to the song she imagined Rosalía’s voice slotted in with hers, and said in an interview with Pitchfork that it created a sort of tunnel to the past-- creating a kind of conversation between them --while simultaneously being a vessel for future change through the song’s mission.
To many, this collaboration feels like an unexpected pairing and came as a complete surprise but its genius lies in how it shows a new dimension of Rosalia’s voice and the similarities between the two which ultimately uplift both and create a unique, harmonious sound. Rosalia has been recognized for the genre bending quality of her music and traditionally-trained cantora voice, which enables the singer to bring the power of her flamenco voice to any project as well as with her unique creative vision. In “Oral,” Rosalia brings an even more emphasized electronic edge to Björk’s renowned and recognizable vocal timbre, but matches her ability and dexterity with ease. Hearing their melodic runs intertwine and create such a beautiful, layered sound makes this song a must-listen, even if simply for the playfulness between them which is on full display by the end of the song, and the way their voices compliment each other and build one another up in this sonic dream.
It's nostalgic to hear Björk’s voice from between her Homogenic and Vespertine albums which was such an iconic moment in her journey as an artist, and even by the end of the opening verse you are transported back to that moment in her repertoire. The song is also a tribute to the merging of their sounds. The chorus, along with its remarkable accompanying orchestra and violin, creates a busting melody combined
with those electronic 90s dancehall beats to create the youthful feeling which permeates the song. The song is about love and navigating the feelings that come with meeting someone new and feeling self-conscious about how to approach it. She was reminded of the song when touring Cornucopia in Australia and upon seeing notices everywhere about a sex scandal which was unfolding and had the word ‘oral’ displayed on many banners throughout the country. The lyrics reflect the struggle between the dream and reality which can be loosely or abstractly related to the campaign around this song, which has little to do with its intended message.