''Debut'' is the international debut studio album by Icelandic recording artist
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
, released in July 1993 by
One Little Indian and
Elektra Entertainment. It was
produced by Björk and
Nellee Hooper. It was Björk's first recording following the dissolution of her previous band,
the Sugarcubes
The Sugarcubes () were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, trumpe ...
. The album departed from the rock style of her previous work and drew from an eclectic variety of styles, including
electronic pop,
house music
House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
trip hop
Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
.
''Debut'' received critical acclaim from British music critics, though American reviews were mixed. It exceeded sales expectations, charting at number two in Iceland, three in the United Kingdom, and 61 in the US. It was
certified
Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
gold in Canada and platinum in the US, where it remains Björk's best-selling album.
Five singles were released from ''Debut'': "
Human Behaviour", "
Venus as a Boy", "
Play Dead", "
Big Time Sensuality" and "
Violently Happy". All charted in the UK, with only "Human Behaviour", "Violently Happy" and "Big Time Sensuality" charting on dance and
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
...
charts in the US.
Background and production
While performing as the vocalist of Icelandic
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
group
the Sugarcubes
The Sugarcubes () were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, trumpe ...
, Björk approached Ásmundur Jónsson of
Bad Taste and producer Derek Birkett of
One Little Indian Records with a
demo cassette of her own songs.
The demo included versions of songs that appeared on ''Debut'', including "The Anchor Song" and "Aeroplane".
After the Sugarcubes went on hiatus, Björk moved to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England, where she and Birkett worked on the details of what would become ''Debut''.
The Sugarcubes' music did not fit Björk's taste, and her contact with London's
underground club culture of the late 1980s and early 1990s helped her find her own musical identity.
She said: "As a music nerd, I just had to follow my heart, and my heart was those
beats that were happening in England. And maybe what I'm understanding more and more as I get older, is that music like
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...
has really influenced me.
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
.
Acid
An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
.
Electronic beats. Labels like
Warp."
Björk had already written half the songs for ''Debut'', but had nothing recorded.
She had written many of them years before moving to London, including "
Human Behaviour", which she wrote as a teenager when she was in the Sugarcubes.
She had put aside the songs as "I was in punk bands and
he songsweren't punk".
With no producer, she composed songs with
808 State member
Graham Massey in a friend's home in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, where she also wrote songs included on later albums, including "
Army of Me" and "The Modern Things".
While creating electronic tracks with Massey, Björk developed a desire to work with a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
producer.
Paul Fox, who had worked with the Sugarcubes, introduced her to jazz
harpist Corky Hale.
Hale had planned to decline to work with Björk until her stepson, a Sugarcubes fan, insisted that she take the job.
Björk recorded a handful of
jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...
s with Hale in 1991, including "
I Remember You" and an early version of "
Like Someone in Love"; the latter song was included in ''Debut''s track listing.
Fox also introduced Björk to
Oliver Lake, with whom Björk recorded another jazz standard, "
Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries", with Lake's jazz group for the
John Hughes film ''
Curly Sue''.
Hughes turned down the recording, but it led to ''Debut'' being produced by Fox and arranged by Oliver Lake.
Björk contracted Lake to work with session
saxophonist
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
s in London for ''Debut;''
Lake's contributions are heard on tracks including "Aeroplane" and "The Anchor Song".
Björk intended to have several producers work on the album.
She planned to have the album produced with Fox until she was introduced to producer
Nellee Hooper by her boyfriend Dominic Thrupp.
Hooper had produced albums by
Soul II Soul and
Sinéad O'Connor
Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...
which made Björk skeptical about working with him, stating: "I thought Nellee was too 'good taste' for my liking. But then I met him, got to know him,
ndgot to hear about his fabulous ideas."
Björk and Hooper's recording ideas were similar, which led to her decision to end production with Massey and Fox.
Hooper introduced Björk to studio technology and studio
programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is an author of computer source code someone with skill in computer programming.
The professional titles Software development, ''software developer'' and Software engineering, ''software engineer' ...
Marius de Vries, who gave ''Debut'' a modern style with
keyboards and
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s.
He produced the first ten tracks on the album, while Björk co-produced "Like Someone in Love" with Hooper and produced "The Anchor Song" alone.
Björk and Hooper spent many sessions in the studio working on ''Debut'' until the album was finished in early 1993.
Composition
''Debut'' draws on an eclectic variety of sources.
''Treblezine'' described the album as "
eldingalternative dance
Alternative dance (also known as indie dance or underground dance in the United States) is a musical genre that mixes alternative rock with electronic dance music. Although largely confined to the British Isles, it has gained worldwide exposure ...
and electronic with a graceful flow." It is said that the album "
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
the
status quo
is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...
" of the contemporary musical climate, in the sense that its
eclectic experimental pop
Experimental pop is pop music that cannot be categorized within traditional musical boundaries or which attempts to push elements of existing popular forms into new areas. It may incorporate experimental music, experimental techniques such as m ...
leanings distanced it from the music "primarily being made by men with
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
s" that was popular at the time, such as
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
and the burgeoning
Britpop
Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
.
Michael Cragg of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described it as an "indefinable conflation of
electronic pop,
trip-hop
Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
,
world music
"World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
and otherworldly lyrics".
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
described the album as "creative, tantalizing electronic pop." ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that "''Debut'' often recalls the early
'70s jazz-fusion of bands like
Weather Report. But where these fusionists combined
jazz harmony with
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
and
acid rock
Acid rock is a loosely defined type of rock music that evolved out of the mid-1960s garage rock, garage punk movement and helped launch the psychedelia, psychedelic subculture. While the term has sometimes been used interchangeably with "psyc ...
, Björk marries her
scat-vocalese and off-kilter melodies with the futuristic textures and programmed percussion of today's
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
and acid house.
''
The Face''s Mandi James felt ''Debut'' was "a delightful fusion of
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
, jazz, funk and
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
, with the odd dash of
exotica
Exotica is a musical genre that was popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s with Americans who came of age during World War II. The term was coined by Simon "Si" Waronker, Liberty Records co-founder and board chairman, named after the 1957 Mart ...
thrown in for good measure."
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' described the album as "an
art pop
Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theory, art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, film, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre dra ...
masterpiece". Björk also took influence from the
music of Bollywood and "the buzz of London nightlife."
''Debut'' incorporates
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
, reflecting the contemporary styles of London's club culture, with which Björk had established close ties.
While elements of subgenres such as
Euro-house
A
: Emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance music, trance-like style, often with Sampling (music), samples or spoken lines instead of lyrics. It has core electronic "squelch" sounds that were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly ...
,
acid jazz
Acid jazz (also known as club jazz, psychedelic jazz, or groove jazz) is a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul music, soul, and hip hop music, hip hop, as well as jazz and disco. Acid jazz originated in clubs in London during the 1 ...
,
worldbeat
Worldbeat is a music genre that blends pop music or rock music with world music or traditional music. Worldbeat is similar to other cross-pollination labels of contemporary and roots genres, and which suggest a rhythmic, harmonic or textural co ...
and
IDM are present, "they hadn't yet broken free from the primal thump of
four-on-the-floor house music
House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
."
Tom Breihan of ''
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'' wrote that "even as dance music took on all these new sounds, that basic
pulse
In medicine, the pulse refers to the rhythmic pulsations (expansion and contraction) of an artery in response to the cardiac cycle (heartbeat). The pulse may be felt ( palpated) in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surfac ...
was still the most important thing about it, and that pulse reverberates all through ''Debut''."
Björk said: "A lot of the songs on my record have dance beats, but I think they're beats that are more reflective of daily life—like life in the middle of the day in a city, as opposed to the night life of the clubs."
The four on the floor style, typical of house music, is evident in songs such as "Human Behaviour", "Crying", "
Big Time Sensuality", "There's More to Life Than This" and "
Violently Happy".
Björk felt house music was "the only
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
that
astruly modern," stating in 1993 that it was "the only music where anything creative is happening today."
Her departure from the guitar-driven
rock of her previous work stemmed from the feeling that it was outdated, arguing that "as soon as any form becomes traditional, like the guitar,
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
and
drums
The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
, then people start to behave traditionally," and that "it's really difficult to get a band to stay on the edge using typical bass, guitar and drums setup because it tends to lapse into a predictable form."
Being a fan of dance music since the early days of acid house, she used it as the framework for her songs.
She told ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' that she "was more influenced by
ambient music
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes Musical tone, tone and atmosphere over traditional Musical form, musical structure or rhythm. Often "peaceful" sounding and lacking Musical composition, composition, beat, and/or structured melod ...
than what you'd call dance music, and by things that were happening way back in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
and
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
that were sensual and daring and groundbreaking in their time
..Ninety-five percent of the dance music you hear today is crap. It's only that experimental five percent that I'm into—the records that get played in clubs after 7 o'clock in the morning, when the DJs are playing stuff for themselves, rather than trying to please people."
Björk's embrace of England's dance culture also extended to her image, considered representative of
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American jets fly over burning oil fields in the 1991 Gulf War; the Oslo Accords on 13 September 1993; the World ...
acid house fashion.
Hooper had been a member of
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
's "
Wild Bunch", a group that took from acid jazz, funk and
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
and helped create trip-hop. The less dance-oriented electronic ''Debut'' tracks have a more trip-hop style sound
and a "more delicate atmosphere".
''
i-D'' noted that ''Debut''—and Björk's subsequent album ''
Post''—integrate
ambient techno
Ambient techno is a subgenre of techno that incorporates the atmospheric textures of ambient music with the rhythmic elements and production of techno. It was pioneered by 1990s electronic artists such as Aphex Twin, Carl Craig, The Orb, The ...
and
jungle
jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...
, stating that they "couldn't have existed without
Aphex Twin
Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...
,
Black Dog,
A Guy Called Gerald,
LFO and all the other producers who reshaped the language of music since 1988."
[ Available a]
bjork.fr
/ref> Also present are elements of jazz, with WUOG stating that "while many see ''Debut'' as Björk's clubbiest album, it may also be her jazziest." Brad Shoup of ''Stereogum'' wrote that "though her electronic bent gets the most attention, it's her interest in jazz that courses through the set." Tim Perlich of '' Now'' felt ''Debut'' "bridges jazz and pop",[ Available a]
bjork.fr
/ref> and Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds (born 19 June 1963) is an English music journalist and author who began his career at ''Melody Maker'' in the mid-1980s. He subsequently worked as a freelancer and published a number of books on music and popular culture.
Reynold ...
characterized it as "jazzy love songs tinged with an oceanic feeling."
Songs
The lyrics of ''Debut'' contain themes of love. They range from "flesh-and-blood passion" for another person to the love of life itself. According to ''i-D'', with a couple of exceptions, the songs of ''Debut'' fell into two types: "those where Björk addressed the listener as someone in pain and told them fireworks would light their nights and all would be well;" and "songs where she sang about her own pain." ''The Face'' stated that the album's lyrics " onsolidatedher love affair with language," while ''The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' felt that Björk "rigorously voidedthe obvious" by using lyrics that do not rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually the exact same phonemes) in the final Stress (linguistics), stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of rhyming (''perfect rhyming'') is consciou ...
.[ Available a]
bjork.fr
/ref>
The first track "Human Behaviour" features a "bouncing riff
A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
" sampled from Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (25 January 1927 – 8 December 1994), also known as Tom Jobim (), was a Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and singer. Considered as one of the great exponents of Brazilian ...
, with "its syncopated
In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
beat consigned to a venerable orchestral instrument, the timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...
." Its lyrics refer to Björk's experience as a child, finding the behaviour of adults "rather chaotic and nonsensical," instead finding harmony with other children, nature and animals. Inspired by naturalist David Attenborough, she sings from the point of view of an animal, with its opening line being "If you ever get close to a human/And human behaviour/Be ready, be ready to get confused". Following track "Crying" shows a contradiction between its "bubbly, shiny-surfaced acid disco-pop
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describes ...
" sound and lyrics that describe the turmoil of feeling alienated in a big city. "Venus as a Boy"—considered an ambient track by ''Rolling Stone''—reflected Björk's newly found interest in Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
, having befriended people of Indian origin in London, most notably tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
player Talvin Singh. In a spontaneous fashion, the song's strings—and also those of "Come to Me"—were recorded by a film studio orchestra in India, thanks to Singh. The lyrics of the track are about the sensitivity of her then boyfriend Dominic Thrupp, with lyrics that have been described as "sweet and just the slightest bit naughty." In the dancefloor-oriented "There's More to Life Than This", Björk leaves romance behind, with "her mischievous side omingto the fore". Its lyrics were inspired by a party she attended and promptly left. "Like Someone in Love" is one of the several jazz standards she recorded with Corky Hale, with her voice "cradled in harp and swoony strings."
"Like Someone in Love" is followed by the techno-tinged "Big Time Sensuality" in an "intentionally startling" leap. An "anthem to emotional bravery," it contains lyrics described as "simple but passionate", concerning Björk's relationship with her co-producer Nellee Hooper. The songs "The Anchor Song", "One Day", and "Aeroplane" draw on what Björk refers to as her more "academic, clever side". "One Day" also presents a sudden shift of mood, featuring a "gently pulsing bass" that builds into an "itchily impassioned, housey pop euphoria." "Aeroplane" is one of ''Debut''s most musically complicated pieces with off-kilter arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...
from Oliver Lake; its backdrop is inspired by exotica music. This song is also about Thrupp, written when he was living in the United Kingdom and Björk still lived in Iceland. "Come to Me" features a "hazy musical backdrop of raindrop synths, padded drums and sweeping strings"; lyrically, it explores a "sensually intense need to nurture." "Violently Happy" is the most hardcore techno
Hardcore (also known as hardcore techno) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany in the early 1990s. It is distinguished by faster tempos (160 to 200 BPM or more) and a distorted sawtooth ...
track on the album. In the song, over "brisk house beats" Björk sings in a stammering fashion, as she "struggles to express feelings of excitement so intense she seems on the brink of leaping out of her skin." As a gesture to inexpressible feelings, the song samples one syllable and "urns
An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape ...
it into a stuttering vocal tic." The closing track "The Anchor Song" is the only one in the album solely produced by Björk. One of the three songs to appear on her first demo cassette of 1990, it features Oliver Lake playing the saxophone, in an arrangement that replicated the "ebb and tide of an ocean's peaking tops, an image reinforced by Björk's fiercely patriotic lyrics." The album's version of "The Anchor Song" was recorded with session saxophonist Gary Barnacle.
Release
When Björk announced the release of her international debut in 1992, she called it with the title ''Björk's Affairs''. However, it was later changed to ''Debut'' since it marked Björk's first album of self-composed material. ''Debut'' was released on 5 July 1993 on compact disc and cassette on One Little Indian Records in the United Kingdom and 13 July 1993 on Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
in the United States. One Little Indian estimated that ''Debut'' would sell a total of 40,000 copies worldwide based on a guess of the Sugarcubes fan base at the time. However, within three months of ''Debut's'' release, over 600,000 copies had been sold worldwide. On the album's initial release, it charted in the United States, peaking at number one on the Top Heatseekers
The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...
chart and at number 61 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In the United Kingdom, ''Debut'' entered the charts on 17 July 1993, peaking at number three and spending 79 weeks on the chart. Overseas in Japan, ''Debut'' was released on 26 September 1993. ''Debut'' has been re-issued several times in different formats. In November 1993, the album was re-issued in the United Kingdom with the bonus track " Play Dead", a song written for the film '' The Young Americans'', shortly after ''Debuts completion. The album was later issued on vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
and DualDisc formats. The Japanese version of ''Debut'' included two bonus tracks: "Play Dead" and "Atlantic". The DualDisc release featured the full album on the CD side while the DVD side included the album with superior sound quality and the music videos for the singles. On 5 May 1994, The Canadian Recording Industry Association certified that ''Debut'' had sold over 50,000 units making it a Gold record in Canada. On 31 August 2001, the RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
certified that ''Debut'' had sold over one million units making it a Platinum record in the United States. As of January 2015, ''Debut'' had sold 930,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
. Worldwide sales of the album stand at 4.7 million copies.
In 1994, Björk was sued by Simon Fisher, a musician she collaborated with in 1990. Fisher's claim stated that he had co-written "Human Behaviour", "Venus as a Boy", "Crying", and "Aeroplane" and sought damages of over £200,000. Hooper and Björk went to court with Fisher shortly after the release of Björk's album '' Post''. Judge Robin Jacob found Fisher only seeking credit for one song instead of four and cleared Hooper and Björk of all charges stating that Fisher's charges rendered him "unreliable, diffuse, and vague".
Singles
In 1993 Björk contacted French director Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker and producer noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one o ...
to create a music video for "Human Behaviour" after seeing a video he made for his own band Oui Oui. "Human Behaviour" was the first single taken from ''Debut'', and was issued a month before the album's release in June 1993. Three more singles were released from ''Debut'' in 1993. "Venus as a Boy" was the second single, released in August with a music video directed by Sophie Muller. "Play Dead" was released in August 1993 as a non-album single, that would be included on later releases of the album. "Play Dead" had an accompanying music video directed by Danny Cannon. The final single released in 1993 was "Big Time Sensuality" remixed by Fluke with a music video by Stéphane Sednaoui. A further single, "Violently Happy", was released in March 1994 with an accompanying video by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. All five singles from ''Debut'' charted within the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart while only "Human Behaviour", "Violently Happy" and "Big Time Sensuality" charted on the US ''Billboard'' charts.
Critical reception
At the 1994 Grammy Awards, Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker and producer noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one o ...
's music video for " Human Behaviour" was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video, but lost to Stephen Johnson's video for the Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
song "Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
". At the 1994 Brit Awards, Björk won awards for "Best Newcomer" and "Best International Female".
Critical reaction to ''Debut'' was generally positive. The British music press spoke positively about the album, with '' Q'' giving it four out of five stars calling it "a surprising, playful collection" while the ''NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' wrote that ''Debut'' was "an album that believes music can be magical and special." ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' gave ''Debut'' a favorable review noting that Björk had "fashioned an amazing array of contrasting arrangements, whose musical diversity never interferes with their clarity of vision." American reception was more mixed. ''Musician
A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...
'' magazine praised the vocals of the album, stating "what makes jörk'ssinging memorable isn't the odd assortment of growls, moans and chirps she relies upon, but the emotions those sounds convey."['']Musician
A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...
:'' 90. July 1993. "...what makes her singing memorable isn't the odd assortment of growls, moans and chirps she relies upon, but the emotions those sounds convey..." ''The New York Times'' described ''Debut'' as "an enchanting album".
A negative review came from ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', who gave the album two stars out of five, labelling the album "utterly disappointing" and blaming producer Nellee Hooper, suggesting he "sabotaged a ferociously iconoclastic talent with a phalanx of cheap electronic gimmickry." Michele Romero of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' gave the album a C, saying, "On a few songs, jörk'sbreathy mewl is a pleasant contrast to the mechanical drone of Sugarcube-like techno-tunes. But most of ''Debut'' sounds annoyingly like the monotonous plinking of a deranged music box. Wind it up if you like – eventually it will stop." ''Debut'' rated highly in British end of year polls. The ''NME'' ranked ''Debut'' at number one on their list of "Top 50 LPs of 1993".['']NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
:'' 66. 25 December 1993. "Ranked No.1 in New Musical Express' list of the 'Top 50 LPs of 1993' – "''Debut'' is a musical treasure chest of organic techno beats, twinkly jazz serenades and otherworldly nursery rhymes, disregarding categories and isplayinga bewitching faith in pop's ability to challenge..."" ''Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' placed the album at number six on their list of "Albums of the Year for 1993" calling it "a fantastic debut".['']Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
:'' 76. 1 January 1994. "Ranked No.6 in Melody Maker's list of 'Albums of the Year' for 1993"a fantastic Debut"" In 1994, ''Q'' included the album on their list for top fifty albums of 1993.['' Q:'' 85. January 1994. "Included in Q's list of 'The 50 Best Albums of 1993'"...an album of tantalising contrasts....manages to be bubbly, exhilarating, brazenly dance-oriented and satisfying all at once...""] In 2000 it was voted number 77 in Colin Larkin's '' All Time Top 1000 Albums''. Björk reacted to the positive reviews hesitantly, stating that if she'd "delivered exactly the same album and I came from Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
, I'd have got completely different reviews, normal down-to-earth ones" and that ''Debut'' "was a bit of a rehearsal and it's really not that good. I can do much better."
Later reception was also positive. In '' Spin'' magazine's alternative record guide, the album received a rating of nine out of ten stating that the choice of Nellee Hooper as producer was a "stroke of genius" and Björk's vocals were "awe-inspiring". Heather Phares of AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album a five-star rating, stating that ''Debut'' is "Possibly her prettiest work, Björk's horizons expanded on her other releases, but the album still sounds fresh, which is even more impressive considering electronic music's whiplash-speed innovations."
Legacy
''Debut'' is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of 1993 and the 1990s in general. In 2013, John Hamilton of '' Idolator'' called the album "highly influential", and wrote "in spite of its advancing age, ''Debut''s futurism has aged exquisitely." The album has also been credited as one of the first albums to introduce electronic music into mainstream pop. ''Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'' Tom Breihan wrote: "House music didn't quite have critical respect before Björk came along, and plenty of American writers didn't know what to make of the sound of ''Debut'' when it came out. ..''Debut'' didn't just establish Björk; it helped make sounds like that cool to a segment of the music-dork universe that might've remained deaf to its charms otherwise. At this point, it's virtually impossible to imagine a big publication slamming an adventurous dance-pop album for "cheap electronic gimmickry," and ''Debut'' is a big part of that change." Björk's embrace of England's dance culture also extended to her looks, her style at the time considered representative of 1990s acid house
Acid house (also simply known as just " acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synt ...
fashion. Celebrating the album's twenty-year anniversary, Emily Mackay of ''NME'' wrote the album "put the lie to the post-grunge
Post-grunge is an offshoot of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s alternative rock bands such as Bush (British band), Bush, Candlebox, Colle ...
assumption that heartfelt, passionate solo artistry came in the form of acoustic guitar and heartbreak, creating a new breed of singer-songwriter." Dubbing it an "influential masterpiece", she found influences of the album in the work of musicians such as M.I.A., Grimes
Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her lyrics often touch on science fiction and feminist themes. The visuals in her videos are elabora ...
, These New Puritans and Tune-Yards, writing: "It's in fascinatingly individual artists like those that you'll find jörk'sinfluence – not, as many would have you believe, in every pretty-faced girl with a big voice." Mackay also noted that the album's legacy echoes through dance-pop artists like Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
and Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson (; born 12 June 1979), known professionally as Robyn (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. Her 1995 debut album ''Robyn Is Here'' produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 single ...
.
In 2013, Michael Cragg of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' wrote that "two decades after its release, the Icelandic artist's first album has never sounded more relevant." He argued that ''Debut'' "reconstructed pop music", also writing that "while pop in 2013 looks back to the early 90s for inspiration, Björk's ability on ''Debut'' to innovate by using disparate genres without losing a sense of her own identity should be the blueprint for any new artist with desires to break the mould." In the album's entry in their list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indu ...
" —where the album was included at number 46—, ''NME'' claimed that "''Debut'' achieved the remarkable feat of turning an idiosyncratic vocalist from a feted cult band into a significant global pop star, without losing one iota of the experimental mindset and creative cool that made her so special." In 2005, Björk stated that she thought the album was not as strong as her later works: "It's hard to judge yourself but I don't think 'Debut'' and ''Post'' aremy best. ''Debut'' was the album that went the highest up there in terms of what is 'Bjork music'. But I think that the persona I created, which was entirely accidental, is better captured on the later albums."
Accolades
''Debut'' was also included in books such as '' 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'', and '' 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die''.
Track listing
Notes"Tracks sampled by Björk"
''WhoSampled.'' Retrieved Aug 8 2023.
* "Human Behaviour" contains a sample from "Go Down Dying" written by Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (25 January 1927 – 8 December 1994), also known as Tom Jobim (), was a Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and singer. Considered as one of the great exponents of Brazilian ...
.
* "Venus as a Boy" contains a sample from "Music for Shō" by Mayumi Miyata (1986).
* "One Day" contains samples from "Put Your Love (In My Tender Care)" by The Fatback Band (1975), " Always There" by Ronnie Laws (1975), and " Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins (1972).
* "Aeroplane" contains a sample from "Dahil Sayo" by Arthur Lyman
Arthur Hunt Lyman (February 2, 1932 – February 24, 2002) was a Hawaiian jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His group popularized a style of faux-Polynesian music during the 1950s and 1960s which later became known as exotica. His albums ...
(1958).
* "Play Dead" contains a sample from "Footsteps in the Dark" by The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American soul group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...
(1977).
* signifies an additional producer
Personnel
Musicians
* Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
– lead vocals, arranger, programmer, basslines, keyboards, brass programming
* Garry Hughes – keyboards, Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
, programming
* Oliver Lake – music arranger, reeds
* Corky Hale – harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
* Gary Barnacle – brass
* Marius de Vries – keyboards, programming
* Nellee Hooper – percussion, drums
* Luís Jardim – bass, percussion, drums
* Talvin Singh – director, tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
* Bruce Smith – percussion, drums
* Martin Virgo – keyboards, programming
* Paul Waller – keyboards, programming
* Jon Mallison – guitar
* Mike Mower – brass
* Jhelisa Anderson – backing vocals
Technical personnel
* Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
– producer
* Paul Corkett – engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
* Nellee Hooper – producer, engineer
* Howie B – engineer
* Hugo Nicolson – engineer
* Brian Pugsley – engineer
* Al Stone – engineer
* Mark Warner – assistant engineer
* Paul Wertheimer – engineer
* Goetz Botzenhardt – assistant engineer
* Jim Abbiss – engineer
* Dave Burnham – engineer
* Jean-Baptiste Mondino – photography
* Pete Lewis – assistant engineer
* Jon Mallison – assistant engineer
* Mike Marsh – mastering
* Tim Dickenson – assistant engineer
* Andy Bradford – assistant engineer
* Oggy – assistant engineer
* H. Shalleh – engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
* on official website
*
''Debut''
statistics, tagging and previews at Last.FM
Debut mini website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Debut (Bjork Album)
1993 albums
Albums produced by Björk
Albums produced by Nellee Hooper
Alternative dance albums
Björk albums
Electropop albums
Elektra Records albums
One Little Independent Records albums