LogFAQs > #955876192

137. Bjrk Bachelorette (1997)
from the album Homogenic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNJv-Ebi67I

Key lyrics:
Im a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

In the first line of Bachelorette, Bjrk declares herself a fountain of blood in the shape of a girl. This opening line is loaded with metaphorical meaning and visceral imagery, the weight of which a lesser song might collapse under. Instead, it sets the stage beautifully for the tense experience that follows. A train-like beat establishes a sense of motion contradicted by the strings and Bjrks tendency to draw out each line. Where I described Joga as the atmospheric backing track for a climactic romance scene, Bachelorette feels like a genuine showstopper. Bjrk belts out her lines with the articulation of a stage performer; she wants you to hear each and every one of these desperate pleas.

Pop rarely sounds this intimidating, art pop or otherwise. Bjrk is a woman on a warpath, never outright threatening but instead warning of dire consequences for any betrayal. The lyrics maintain an evocative quality throughout, matching the density of that opening line. And though each verse begins by casting her in an inhuman role, they mask a very human sense of hurt. During the second verse, she is a path of cinders something which can do real harm but also exists only to be stepped on. Through this intense mix of lyricism and instrumentation, Bjrk breaks love down to an ugly core.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/