| "Black Lake" | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Black_Lake_Bloom_Remix_cover_art.jpeg) Bloom remix artwork | |
| Song by Björk | |
| from the album Vulnicura | |
| Released | 20 January 2015 |
| Studio |
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| Genre | |
| Length | 10:08 |
| Label | One Little Indian |
| Songwriter(s) | Björk |
| Producer(s) | |
| Music video | |
| "Black Lake" on YouTube | |
"Black Lake" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk for her eighth studio album, Vulnicura (2015). At ten minutes and eight seconds, it is the longest song to appear on one of her studio albums. Written by Björk in the aftermath of her separation from contemporary artist Matthew Barney, the lyrics of "Black Lake" detail her heartbreak, anger, and attempts to forgive Barney as her emotions grow as each verse progresses in time, leading up to the final lines describing her "return home". The track was released alongside the rest of the album on 20 January 2015, by One Little Indian Records. Featuring additional production and programming by Arca, mixing by the Haxan Cloak, string and vocal arrangements by Björk, and a four-person group of cellists, "Black Lake" consolidates a dramatic sound with cellos and electronic beats that fade and reappear throughout the song.
"Black Lake" received critical acclaim for its lyrical depth, sonically tense, vivid beats, and lively pace, thus leading to several finding it to be the focal point of Vulnicura and a departure for Björk amidst a career that was often found to have previously been more detached thematically. Though the album did not feature any commercially released singles, "Black Lake" and the rest of the album were promoted via the Vulnicura tour and an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
The accompanying music video for "Black Lake" was directed by filmmaker Andrew Thomas Huang and represents Björk's sorrow and timeline of emotions as she travels through Iceland's barrens from a dark and volcanic chasm to a lush basin. Premiering at the aforementioned MoMA exhibit in March 2015, it was released to the public the following June. Since being featured at several Björk Digital exhibits, Björk has performed "Black Lake" on two of her tours, the most recent of which being Björk Orkestral.