AOTY 2023
Björk - Medúlla
Critic Score
Based on 20 reviews
2004 Ratings: #54 / 453
User Score
2004 Ratings: #69
Liked by 326 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Guardian

Medulla may divide Björk's audience, but, combining intellectual rigour and sensual ravishment, it is brave and unique.

90
Tiny Mix Tapes
Instead of singing over interesting beats and scattered rhythms, BjΓΆrk uses her voice to dictate where the music goes.
90
Prefix

Bjork has taken the high road with Medulla, the journey back into innocent fascination.

90
Under the Radar

The ice from Vespertine has melted, and Bjork's voice sounds reborn like a phoenix from the flame.

90
Paste

Medúlla arrives at a time when every last one of us would do well to remember the indomitable power of the human voice.

84
Pitchfork

It's an outrageous conceit from Iceland's most notorious experimental export, and a huge risk for her career after the relatively conventional, diehard-pleasing Vespertine.

83
SPIN

On Medulla, her voice is in constant motion, in sync with the beat, rather than battling it, whether she's running uphill (the orgasmic gasps of "Pleasure Is All Mine") or just bobbing weightlessly ("Vokuro").

80
No Ripcord

Basically, bits of Medulla sound similar to Vespertine, but there's a marked distinction in the means of delivery and enough change to keep things interesting.

80
NME
A notch below the genius of 'Debut' or 'Homogenic' but precious nonetheless.
80
The Observer
Very few performers in the history of pop have possessed the gift of making records which are instantly, recognisably theirs, at the same time as sounding like no other music previously made on this earth. If anyone out there still doubted that Bjork was one of these people, this extraordinary album will soon set them straight.
80
AllMusic
It's not an immediate album, but it is a fascinating one, especially for anyone interested in the world's oldest instrument being used in unexpected ways.
80
Mojo
Not only the bravest record she's ever made, it's also one of the strangest and most uncompromising by a major artist to get a commercial release.
80
The Independent

Although the most commercially viable pieces might be those with funky hip-hop, garage or trip-hop beats ... the most satisfying tend to be those which either showcase her serpentine lead vocal lines ... or which surround her lead vocal with the comforting, feathery susurrus of the Icelandic Choir.

77
Coke Machine Glow

A fractured LP, compelling and convincing in its intent, but just plain less satisfying than Vespertine or Post.

70
Rolling Stone

Bjork’s seventh studio album is a shocker, the kind of record that’ll stop those who overhear it and make them ask, “What the hell is that?” Medulla is both the most extreme record Bjork has ever released and the most immediately accessible.

60
Q Magazine
The few electronic beats and textures are deft, discreet soundbeds for the lush intimacies of the vocals, which slip from soothing to strident.
60
Uncut
It is the curious marriage of glottal outpouring and emotional candour to microscopically detailed and often utterly illogical arrangements that keeps her music vital and unpredictable.
60
Slant Magazine

Medúlla is ahead of its time, and its failures are in the minority, but only time will tell if the album can earn a spot in heavy rotation the way Debut, Post, and Homogenic have.

40
NOW Magazine
It's an intriguing concept and she's got some excellent vocal technicians helping out, but the slowly unfolding songs just seem incomplete, like a cappella demos sorely in need of instrumental support.
barcooper
91

A deep exploration of motherhood while Bjönk is beatboxing her way into your heart.

I wanted to listen to this album for a while now, considering the fact that it's one of the most adventurous projects in her discography. The concept of this album sounded very intriguing to me, So I had some high expectations going into this, But honestly, Who the fuck am I kidding, Of course its gonna be incredible its a damn Björk album.

On this album Björk executed one of her most daring ... read more

hellodecatur
100

Shout out to Indiana University's Victoria Malawey, who has written multiple fascinating papers about this incredible album (possibly my favorite record of all time).

KaitoNkmra
90

[Björk Album Discography Dive #5/10 - Medúlla (2004)]

Björk making an almost entirely acapella album is an absolutely ridiculous concept but one that makes total fucking sense after thinking about it for just a few seconds. It’s Björk for crying out loud of course it’s going to work.

Medúlla literally strips away all of the sweeping instrumentals and electronic doo dahs we’ve experienced in every project that came before it to offer a completely ... read more

whoratheexplore
76

This album is definetly Björk's most experimental project to date. This album is her most interesting concept to me, a vocal album. It's an amazing concept, almost every sound on this project is made by a human voice, and it's truly impressive.

Although I love a lot of songs on this album, some songs are just good in concept and are a bit too weird or boring for me. But when this album does it good, it does it great.

HIGHLIGHTS: Pleasure Is All Mine, Vökuró, Who Is It, ... read more

al3xym
76

nao me agrada sonoramente, porem reconheço seu potencial e conceito

85

Some of her best most experimental work. But some moments that are just okay/ passable

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Added on: July 2, 2011