Björk and Rosalía release surprising collaborative single ‘Oral’ – Out now
Björk and Rosalía release surprising collaborative single 'Oral'
In October, Björk and Rosalía announced they would collaborate on the song “Oral”. That track is out since yesterday. The track, initially created over two decades ago by Björk, was revitalized with contributions from Rosalía for fundraising purposes. The proceeds from “Oral” will support AEGIS, a non-profit dedicated to combating open-pen fish farming in Iceland.
Björk, 58, initially wrote and produced “Oral” between the release of her albums “Homogenic” (1997) and “Vespertine” (2001), but it remained unreleased at the time. Rediscovered earlier this year, Björk decided to finish the song with the addition of production from Sega Bodega and the vocal talents of Rosalía, 31.
“Oral” is Björk’s first release in 2023, following her 2022 album “Fossora.” For Rosalía, this collaboration adds to her string of recent singles, including “LLYLM,” “Beso” with Rauw Alejandro, and “Tuya.”
Björk and Rosalía oppose Norwegian-owned commercial salmon farming in Iceland
The inspiration for the song’s release came after Björk learned about the environmental harm caused by Norwegian-owned commercial salmon farming in Iceland. The proceeds from “Oral” are earmarked to support the legal battle of the Icelandic town of Seyðisfjörður against Norwegian fisheries, which have been linked to increased pollution and damage to local salmon populations.
Björk chose Rosalía as a guest vocalist to represent a contemporary perspective, blending it with the song’s historical context. Having known Rosalía for several years, Björk reached out to her, and she agreed to collaborate before even hearing the song, also keen to support the environmental cause.
Video with digital avatars
Accompanying the song is a music video directed by Carlota Guerrero, featuring digital avatars of the artists in a sword-wielding, dance-like duel.
Here’s the video.
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