Utopia
by Björk
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 365 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 285 out of 365
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 365
  3. Negative: 52 out of 365
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  1. mortyblub1
    Nov 24, 2017
    2
    Of course Björk fanatics absolutely love this. Then again, they'll love anything this woman puts out. I mean, these are the same people who think Madonna and Lady Gaga are great musicians, so it doesn't shock me that whenever they encounter music that doesn't sound like the conventional pop they're used to consuming, they think it's genius. But truthfully, this album is far from beingOf course Björk fanatics absolutely love this. Then again, they'll love anything this woman puts out. I mean, these are the same people who think Madonna and Lady Gaga are great musicians, so it doesn't shock me that whenever they encounter music that doesn't sound like the conventional pop they're used to consuming, they think it's genius. But truthfully, this album is far from being impressive. In fact, it's Björk's weakest record up to now: a hollow, artificial work by an artist who has forgotten how to write interesting music and desperately resorts to over-the-top electronic production and orchestral arrangements to try to counterbalance her absolute lack of good melodies. She sings in the sense that there is a succession of notes -- but there is not one single moment where she is able to craft an actually captivating tune. None. Björk once said she did not appreciate Bob Dylan because his music "serves as a bed for words." That's, of course, disputable, but anyway, it's kind of funny that that's exactly what she is doing on Utopia: with no good vocal melodies in sight, Björk focuses tremendously on enunciating every word perfectly, on dragging out each syllable. It's clear that she spent a lot of times on these lyrics, which are all very awkwardly written and attempt to come across as intelligent by ridiculously and unnecessarily referencing literature, religion and history. I actually think her gibberish singing on Medúlla is a lot more engaging than what she has to offer here. Maybe she should go back to scatting.

    Many people are mentioning how gorgeous this sounds. Well, of course. Björk employs the same old techniques in order to make her music seem grandiose and epic, but the difference is, her songwriting was actually good until very recently, so all those orchestral and bombastic arragements felt complementary; they added to her already great vocal tunes. Here, they reek of pretense. They want to fool the listener, to trick them into thinking the music is more important than it actually is. I, for one, was not misguided at all by the "transcendental" flutes, harps, choirs, strings and birdsong that kept coming in and out of songs for no reason at all, attempting to impress. Those are artifices any rich musician can use. The actual hard work is writing an interesting and memorable melody, but Björk runs away from that, maybe because she really doesn't have any ideas or maybe because she simply doesn't care, which is just lazy for a songwriter. Oh, how lush this music sounds! Give me a break. I'd rather listen to a well-written acoustic song than to a vacuous but highly orchestral one. The disjointed industrial/glitchy beats (courtesy of Arca) are just there for the sake of it. She is an electronic musician after all, right? We need the beats! How bored I am.

    There are some okay moments in this thing: the incredibly euphoric Arisen My Senses is nice to listen to and Paradisia is a pleasant little interlude. But that's it. This is by far her most inconsequential and forgettable release, an album full of cliches and gimmicks but not a single good composition. I pray that Björk will find some inspiration again. She is lucky to have such a loyal fanbase.    … Expand
  2. nuph
    Dec 13, 2017
    0
    too much to ask for a melody? c'mon. it's like free jazz but with harps. keep hoping she'll come back to writing songs instead of sound installations. i have a hard time believing that any critic, or high rating fan, will listen to this album more than once. i love bjork and her quirky, beautiful personality; i just don't like her songs. fans: don't review her, review her music.
  3. jasharkowalski
    Dec 4, 2017
    1
    Bjork on autopilot, thought i would never say that but it happened.....don't waste your time here, you wont hear anything new or worth remembering, this is already played and sung many times by lil' Icelandic queen.....i think she fought the melody as such and melody simply decided to surrender.....back in the time Bjork walked that thin line, but now she forgot where the line is....such aBjork on autopilot, thought i would never say that but it happened.....don't waste your time here, you wont hear anything new or worth remembering, this is already played and sung many times by lil' Icelandic queen.....i think she fought the melody as such and melody simply decided to surrender.....back in the time Bjork walked that thin line, but now she forgot where the line is....such a pity for my favorite girl....… Expand
  4. Schwiz
    Dec 11, 2017
    1
    Meh.

    Avant Garde my ass. This album is stacked with the same loopy vocals and pretentious ballads that weighed her last few albums down - rarely changing in pitch, tone, or pace. I commented on the slog that was Vulnicura back in 2015 and got hit with a wave of rabid Bjork fans coming to her aid. My favorite comment read, "Bjork abandoned cliché long ago. You just don’t understand    Meh.

    Avant Garde my ass.

    This album is stacked with the same loopy vocals and pretentious ballads that weighed her last few albums down - rarely changing in pitch, tone, or pace.

    I commented on the slog that was Vulnicura back in 2015 and got hit with a wave of rabid Bjork fans coming to her aid. My favorite comment read, "Bjork abandoned cliché long ago. You just don’t understand her." That comment pretty much summed it all up for me since claiming Bjork has abandoned cliché IS a cliché.

    Personally, I don’t care who she broke up with last year or who she is **** now. I just wish Bjork could sell her music without the gimmicks and themes.

    “Listen to Bjork sing acapella with the human beat-boxer.”
    "Listen to Bjork hire musicians to beat on a gourd for an hour with Timbaland."
    “Listen to Bjork crawl into a cave and rub herself with crystals and moss.”
    “Listen to Bjork cry about her break-up for an hour”.
    And finally, “Bjork’s in love again.”

    Personally, I’m holding out for, “Bjork emerges from her own ass and re-embraces cliché.”

    Her costumes are just great though, really, just great.    … Expand
  5. marvincaprone
    Nov 27, 2017
    3
    It is not a good album, Bjork has better jobs in her past as a musician There is a lack of creativity. Repetitive music with mostly boring arrangements. The lyrics are good, the best part of the album.
  6. pepitohonguito
    Apr 19, 2018
    0
    One word: Boredom. Every single song sounds the same, very monotonous. A lot of screaming, the instrumental part is the best part, but nothing out of this word either. The lyrics are just ok. I wish it could be more creative and innovative. I am very disappointed, she is a great artist anyway.
  7. wildwickedslip
    Jun 10, 2022
    2
    I'm a Björk fan, and whilst I can appreciate her talent, she has wandered so far into the 'avant-garde' category that her music has become totally impenetrable and completely inaccessible. She has lots of great ideas, but fails to implement them in actual songwriting, and it's reached the point where her work isn't actually enjoyable - it's just really hard work. Great ideas and conceptsI'm a Björk fan, and whilst I can appreciate her talent, she has wandered so far into the 'avant-garde' category that her music has become totally impenetrable and completely inaccessible. She has lots of great ideas, but fails to implement them in actual songwriting, and it's reached the point where her work isn't actually enjoyable - it's just really hard work. Great ideas and concepts but no structure, no melody, nothing to make you stick around till the end of the album, and definitely nothing to keep you coming back for more.… Expand
  8. Jackson777
    Oct 11, 2021
    2
    Its really bad. I feel sorry for her very successful father and boyfriends. She's a conceited and self-obsessed person who flaunts being able to play numerous instruments like it makes her a musical genius. Utopia is just a part of her long discography that next to nobody listens to, that's sampled from time to time by various artists, but almost never listened to alone because of howIts really bad. I feel sorry for her very successful father and boyfriends. She's a conceited and self-obsessed person who flaunts being able to play numerous instruments like it makes her a musical genius. Utopia is just a part of her long discography that next to nobody listens to, that's sampled from time to time by various artists, but almost never listened to alone because of how uninventive her music is. Some of the songs being listenable warrants 2 points from me, but the albums style of art (in the music videos for instance) comes off as boring and too earthy and thus cliche. And there's nothing new overall.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Best Album of 2017
21
#21 Most Discussed Album of 2017
13
#13 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 35
  3. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. Mixmag
    Jan 5, 2018
    90
    It’s an album you’ll want to return to again and again.
    Read full review
  2. Magnet
    Dec 22, 2017
    90
    Utopia is the perfect whooshing winter record, just in time for the bitter chill. [No. 149, p.53]
  3. The Wire
    Dec 19, 2017
    90
    The Icelandic icon moves ever closer to the Platonic ideal of what it means to be Bjork. [Dec 2017, p.50]
See all critic reviews »