Medúlla

Medúlla is the sixth studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released on August 31, 2004 by One Little Indian. The title derives from the Latin word for "marrow". The album is almost entirely a cappella and constructed with human vocals. Medúlla received two Grammy Award nominations and reached number one in several record charts.

Background and structure

Björk struggled to find a title for the album. She said, "Something in me wanted to leave out civilisation, to rewind to before it all happened and work out, 'Where is the human soul? What if we do without civilisation and religion and patriotism, without the stuff that has gone wrong?'", originally calling it Ink, as she wanted the title to represent the "5,000 year-old blood that's inside us all; an ancient spirit that's passionate and dark, a spirit that survives". A friend then suggested "Medúlla", a medical term for bone marrow in Latin. The album cover for Medúlla was photographed by Inez and Vinoodh in London. It features Björk wearing a mask made of hair, a black dress and a necklace that is made of a black substance that says "Medúlla". The hair mask was made specifically for the shoot by Björk's friend, Shoplifter. The photographer said "We were all inspired by women’s handicrafts and this idea of being in your own cocoon in your home, with your family, and this reclusive character that hand-makes the whole world around her."