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. BrushedRed
    Nov 24, 2017
    4
    I’ve been a Bjork fan for a long time, but I really just didn’t like this album. It starts off with two promising songs in a row. Arisen My Senses and Blissing Me are beautiful, but unfortunately that’s about where the good songs end. After that, we have The Gate which I didn’t like to begin with. It felt unfinished. And after that every song has loud noises whether with animals orI’ve been a Bjork fan for a long time, but I really just didn’t like this album. It starts off with two promising songs in a row. Arisen My Senses and Blissing Me are beautiful, but unfortunately that’s about where the good songs end. After that, we have The Gate which I didn’t like to begin with. It felt unfinished. And after that every song has loud noises whether with animals or recorders or flutes. It’s a style that gets old and fast. Bjork voice seems to be low and washed out in the mix while the loud and abrasive electronics and animal noises take precedence. It’s hard to tell where one song ends and another begins because it all sounds the same. The last song on here is good too, but unfortunately only 3 great songs out of 14 is very unusual of Bjork. I can’t think of a Bjork album this bad since Volta, and honestly this might be worse than even Volta. Arca is a great musician on his own right and I think that Bjork’s influence on him for his newest album was a nice mix, but I don’t think the reverse was necessarily the way to go. A 4 seems generous from me considering I love Bjork, but I hope she learns from this mistake.… Expand
  2. popdod
    Dec 22, 2017
    5
    The critics are too generous with this. It is not bad and is beautiful in parts and is definitely best listened to as an album, but as the other critical reviews have noted, it is a bit too long, nothing at all stands out in a way that you find yourself remembering it at random unless you listen to a song 10 times in a row and that may stick in your head briefly. This has been a negativeThe critics are too generous with this. It is not bad and is beautiful in parts and is definitely best listened to as an album, but as the other critical reviews have noted, it is a bit too long, nothing at all stands out in a way that you find yourself remembering it at random unless you listen to a song 10 times in a row and that may stick in your head briefly. This has been a negative with Bjork's music for the past few albums though. Just ask anyone their favorite song on the past 3 or so and to hum it or share any lyrics and they most likely can't.

    I think she crossed the line she has been closely walking between pop and avant-garde and has gotten stuck on the avant-garde side, forgetting that most people, besides her fans who seem to repeat every new album is her best one yet, love her for her late 80s to early 00s songs and that although these are beautiful albums and quite artistic, very few people are likely going to be eager to listen to them again a few years later.

    At this point, she would be shaking things up by releasing an album, or even one song, that has melody and can be replayed in people's heads without having to be actually listening to the song.    … Expand
  3. TI490M
    Nov 28, 2017
    6
    First listen i really hated this, after a coupple more lsitens and i still don't like it, i think Arca is ruining bjork's music for me, Blissing Me was amazing with a vespertine vibe. There's no track that make me listen it on repeat exept Blissing Me, maybe it will grow on me but im sure it will take a while.
  4. Gastropoda
    Nov 25, 2017
    5
    Like with every album Bjork ever did, Utopia also needs to be on repeat. It's like listening classical music, a very slow process -- trying to capture a vision of one artist was always a treat. Especially when that vision has eyez looking into the future. A step ahead of Vulnicura & Biophilia.
  5. Panchogul
    Aug 22, 2020
    4
    Uno de los discos mas trabajados de Bjork, pero a su vez uno de los peores, la producción es muy original y auténtica, no suena agradable al oído, pareciera que Bjork rebuscó y rebuscó al punto de que suena muy pretencioso y poco convincente, no le llega ni a los talones a Biophilia y Vulnicura.
  6. John-A
    Dec 15, 2020
    5
    The main problem these days is Björk is predictably unpredictable. The concept for concept's sake included. And whether we relate to absolutely everything-Björk or not, her last three albums make a logical next step each - for some it is a step forward, for others it is walking around in circles.

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 »