Special Coverage The Photo IssueThe Must List2008 Fall TV2008 Fall Movies2008 Fall Music

Though the fantastical pop star is often considered a musical emissary from another galaxy, Björk is in fact a true citizen of this world. For her sixth studio album, the multifaceted Volta, the 41-year-old traveled from a cabin in Iceland to a boat off Tunisia, then to Manhattan where she lives part-time along with her partner, acclaimed artist Matthew Barney, and their daughter. (Recently, she parked herself in the California desert to headline Coachella.) ''What I like about music [is]that it is abstract,'' she says, seated barefoot and kimonoed in a New York studio. ''You can pass it through to people, situations, whatever you want.'' One such person? Producer Timbaland, who collaborated with Björk on three Volta songs; it turns out the two go way back. ''He sampled one of my tracks 11 years ago. We both love music and beats from the Silk Road — North Africa, India.'' But don't expect any bootylicious new videos. ''I didn't approach him because I wanted to be accepted into a new genre. I mean, don't put my music in leather pants and high heels,'' she laughs, ''or I'll hit you!''


Posted May 18, 2007 | Published in issue #935 May 25, 2007 | Order Article Reprints

You Might Also Like