Only a few weeks after the release of her excellent latest — tenth(!!) — studio album Utopia, which featured epic tracks like “The Gate” and “Blissing Me,” Björk has released the video for its title track. Musically, the track puts a large emphasis on the flute, with vocals shrouded in reverb and pushed slightly to the background to give the flute melodies space to work. The result is an incredibly relaxing, almost serene listening experience.
The video, on the other hand, is anything but relaxing. From its first seconds, it is incredibly stimulating as the sonic beauty is transferred to visual. With directors Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones bringing Björk’s creative direction and vision to life, the video immediately stood out to me as reflecting the scenes of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that show the mischievous sprite Puck scheming with fellow sprites, with Björk and others giddily playing the flute and enjoying their time. If you’ve ever read or seen the play, you’ll probably get it.
Altogether, it’s a seriously stunning work of visual art, the likes of which I personally haven’t previously seen attached to a musician. With vivid colors and incredible, otherworldly landscapes, the “Utopia” video seems to provide just that. Check it out above.
Björk’s Utopia is out now on One Little Indian Records.
