Björk and Rosalía have shared a new collaborative single called “Oral,” which arrives a little over a month after they first announced it. The song was produced by the two artists alongside Sega Bodega, and it begins with a single piano chord that lingers before slowly morphing into shuffling electronic drums and synths that sound like distant sirens. According to Pitchfork, Björk wrote the majority of “Oral” between her 1997 LP Homogenic and 2001’s Vespertine, but she misplaced the recording for about 20 years. She re-discovered the track after seeing the word “oral” on TV while touring Australia earlier in 2023.
Proceeds from the track will support the legal battle against foreign-owned salmon farming operations in Iceland brought by residents of Seyðisfjörður. “Björk and Rosalía are donating all their rights to income generated by this song to the AEGIS non-profit organisation to combat open pen fish farming in Iceland,” reads a statement at the beginning of the track’s Carlota Guerrero–directed music video. “Their record companies have agreed to do the same. All funds raised will support legal fees for protesters, taking action to stop the development of intensive farms that harm wildlife, deform fish, and pose risks to salmon’s DNA and survival. Immediate action is crucial.”
Check out below the music video—which features the musicians engaging in martial arts and sword-fighting—below, and stream “Oral” here.
