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Isobel (song)

"Isobel"
Bjork Isobel.png
Cover art for UK CD1 single
Single by Björk
from the album Post
B-side
Released August 1995
Format
Recorded 1994–95
Genre Baroque pop
Length 5:47
Label One Little Indian
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Björk
  • Nellee Hooper
Björk singles chronology
"Army of Me"
(1995)
"Isobel"
(1995)
"It's Oh So Quiet"
(1995)

"Isobel" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk from her 1995 studio album, Post. Written by Sjón based on a story by Björk, the lyrics of "Isobel" tell the story of the title character, who is magically born in a forest and sends a message of instinct amongst the logic thinking of the people of the city. The story of Isobel has been explored in "Human Behaviour" and "Bachelorette", forming a trilogy. The track was released as the second single for the album as two different CD releases in August 1995. Featuring additional songwriting by Nellee Hooper and Marius de Vries, string arrangements by Eumir Deodato and production by Hooper and Björk, "Isobel" combines a lush orchestral sound with electronic breakbeats.

Most commentators were enticed by "Isobel", which they declared one of the highlights of the Post album. The single peaked at number eighteen on the Finnish Singles Charts, twenty-three on the UK Singles Charts and forty-seven on the New Zealand Singles Chart. The song was included in the compilation album Greatest Hits (2002), whose tracks were selected by fans through a survey.

The accompanying music video of "Isobel" was directed by frequent collaborator Michel Gondry and represents the story the lyrics convey. The surreal video resembles an early film and garnered acclaim from critics, although it received no support from MTV. Björk has performed "Isobel" on various television shows and in five of her tours, the most recent being the Biophilia Tour.

"Isobel" had an origin among the most complicated in the tracks contained in Post and perhaps in all of Björk's work. The song's lyrics were written in collaboration with Icelandic poet Sjón, his very first songlyric in fact. Together with Þór Eldon, Björk's ex-husband and member of The Sugarcubes, they had been part of a circle of anarchist poets in Reykjavik called Medusa and had met the singer while she was a member of KUKL. Sjón would become a frequent collaborator throughout Björk's career.


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