Icelandic artist Björk has released her much anticipated collaboration with Spanish singer Rosalia.
Björk and Rosalia shared a link to the track to their followers online, on Tuesday. Between the two they have more than 30 million followers on Instagram alone.
Critics have hailed the track as the Icelandic singer’s “most engaging single in years.”
The proceeds from the newly-released track, titled “Oral,” are to be donated to support the legal fight against net pen salmon farming in Iceland.
“Industrial salmon farming in open net pens is horrid for the environment,” wrote Bjork. “The farmed salmon goes through immense suffering, and it causes severe harm for our planet. this is an extraordinarily cruel way to make food. the fight against the open net pen industry is a part of the fight for the future of the planet.”
The collaboration was first announced over a month ago and aims to raise awareness and funds for the residents of Seyðisfjörður, who are seeking to challenge the expansion of the industry into the area.
The impetus for the release of the record was a report that came out in Iceland earlier this year, “which showed how evil open-pen fish farming is,” said the singer. So I decided to release the song and give the profits to the fight against it.”
The origins of “Oral” trace back to the period between Björk’s albums ‘Homogenic’ (1997) and ‘Vespertine’ (2001). The song was rediscovered by Björk on her recent tour in Australia, and she was inspired to complete and release it now due what she saw as its relevancy to the ongoing environmental concerns in Iceland.
Iceland has recently seen a surge in public protests over the ecological risks associated with open-net pens in salmon farms, particularly their impact on the country’s fjords and native wildlife.
