Though she’s normally concerned with things outside this earthly plane, Bjork’s determination to do whatever the hell she wants has meant that over the years she’s become one of the most important woman musicians doing the damn thing and a feminist icon.
Having received criticism that she perceived as sexist following a DJ set at Day to Night festival in Houston, Texas, our Icelandic overlord has stepped up to address sexism in the music industry head on, with a particular slant towards discussions of woman musicians in the media.
In a heartfelt open letter, posted via her Facebook page, Bjork explains: “some media could not get their head around that i was not “performing” and “hiding” behind desks. and my male counterparts not. and i think this is sexism. which at the end of this tumultuous year is something im not going to let slide.”
She continues: “women in music are allowed to be singer songwriters singing about their boyfriends. if they change the subject matter to atoms, galaxies, activism, nerdy math beat editing or anything else than being performers singing about their loved ones they get criticized: journalists feel there is just something missing… as if our only lingo is emo…”
Going on to detail her groundbreaking work on Volta and Biophilia, Bjork’s letter is a call to arms for women in music: “we all deserve maximum changes in this revolutionary energy we are currently in the midst of,” she says. And in a world that feels heavy and blighted right now, it’s sentiments like these from the icons we look up to which provide a little bit of light.
Read Bjork’s letter in its entirety below:
(Image via Vulnicura)
