Björk Discusses Her Elaborate New Stage Show, And Baby Albino Giraffes
![](https://static.stereogum.com/uploads/2019/05/bjork-cornucopia-1542043565-640x640-1557351370.jpg)
Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones
This week, Björk’s elaborate new stage show, Cornucopia, debuts at The Shed, a new venue located in New York City’s latest glitzy hellscape Hudson Yards.
The Icelandic musician gave a rare interview to The New York Times in which she talked about the performance, likening it to “digital theater” or a “sci-fi pop concert.” It features intricate costumes and video projections and immersive sound and a 50-person Icelandic choir. The show, which is based around music from her latest album Utopia is described as a “feminist fairy tale.”
In the feature Björk reveals that she recently became a grandmother — congrats — and that she is in love! And she also says that she hasn’t made a penny in the last 20 years: “I’m lucky because I was from the generation that I could actually buy myself a house, because I sold CDs in the ’90s,” she told the Times. “I got a couple of houses and a cabin in the mountains. I’m O.K. But I probably haven’t made a penny in the last, I don’t know, 20 years. It just all goes back into my work — and I like it that way.”
Elsewhere, she likens flutes to “a baby albino giraffe” and, yes, expands on that: “Like, they’re kind of furry and they’re kind of clean. but they’re not as clean as you think, because they’re actually giraffes.” Classic Björk!
Cornucopia had a preview rehearsal earlier this week — the first official performance is tomorrow (5/9) — where Björk performed Utopia’s “Body Memory” and “Future Forever” live for the first time. She also sang “Venus As A Boy” for the first time since 2011 and “Show Me Forgiveness” for the first time since 2006, among other rarities. Check out videos of the two live debuts below, along with some previews of what the show will look like, and a setlist of the performance.
the circle flute played in #cornucopia consists of four conjoined flutes that are curved to form a circle. the instrument requires 4 players to come together in a quartet where each player is indispensable
created by: Studio Brynjar & Veronika
owner: @LafAnticipation #björk pic.twitter.com/TCXWiBs734— björk (@bjork) May 9, 2019
SETLIST:
“The Gate”
“Utopia”
“Arisen My Senses”
“Show Me Forgiveness”
“Venus As A Boy”
“Claimstaker”
“Isobel”
“Blissing Me”
“Body Memory”
“Hidden Place”
“Mouth’s Cradle”
“Features Creatures”
“Courtship”
“Pagan Poetry”
“Losss”
“Sue Me”
“Tabula Rasa”
“Future Forever”
“Notget”
Cornucopia performances will run through June. They’re all sold out.