A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book

Self-Disclosure and Masking Strategies in the Music Videos of Björk's Vulnicura




AuthorsRichardson, John

EditorsAnna-Elena Pääkkölä; Mathias Korsgaard; John Richardson

PublisherRoutledge

Publication year2025

Book title Nordic Music Videos

Series titleAshgate Screen Music Series

First page 44

Last page62

ISBN978-1-03-284589-0

eISBN978-1-00-351400-8

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.4324/9781003514008-4

Web address https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003514008-4


Abstract

This chapter argues that Björk's Vulnicura represents a turning point in the Icelandic artist's career that is characterised by two apparently contradictory tendencies. On the one hand, confessionality, in the context of what has widely been considered a breakup album, from mourning the decline and eventual demise of a relationship to a search for personal transformation. On the other hand, a renewed interest in ever more elaborate masks and use of personas. I argue that these tendencies are interrelated: self-disclosure necessitates differentiation of the artist from her work. Close readings of “Stonemilker,” “Black Lake,” “Lionsong,” “Notget,” “Family,” and “Mouth Mantra” discuss how strategies of self-disclosure and masking in the music and the visual imagery map out an emotional terrain made up not only of melancholy and mourning, but also regenerative energy. As in Björk's earlier works, the Icelandic context is part of the expressive palette, with images that are as dark, austere, and volatile as the accompanying music. The article draws on several explanatory frameworks, including research on Icelandic popular music, the author's work on surrealism, theories of personal narrative and artistic persona, writing on age and gender, and frame theory including the concept of frame resonance.



Last updated on 2025-12-11 at 09:38