"Jóga" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer, songwriter, and actress Björk for her third studio album, Homogenic (1997). An electronica song, "Jóga" fuses these elements with baroque and classical styles. The track's sound was partially inspired by Icelandic music, containing what have been described as "volcanic beats". Lyrically, the piece is an ode to Björk's native land and her best friend, while containing subtexts relating to the state of emergency.

"Jóga" was released as the lead single from Homogenic on 15 September 1997 to critical acclaim, with reviewers praising her powerful vocal performance, as well as the track's composition and overall production. Commercially, the song was a moderate success, but peaked at number one in Björk's native Iceland.

Recording and production

Like most of Homogenic, "Jóga" was recorded and produced at El Cortijo in Málaga, Spain.

She explained "an overall picture" of it to engineer Markus Dravs, who then came out with a rhythm that she felt was "too abstract". Mark Bell, the producer of the track, then came and "took 99 percent of what [he] did and came up with some noises", giving Dravs new ideas. "Jóga" has been described as "the real conceptual heart of the record" and "a sonic picture of the geographical beauty of her homeland". "Jóga" is a love song; its lyrics were written by poet Sjón, Björk's friend and collaborator. She sings about the beauty of being in a "state of emergency", and thanks someone for pushing her into it.

Critical reception

"Jóga" has received acclaim from music critics ever since its release. Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that "Björk lets a little light shine through "Jóga"" and described it as a "moving song", listing it as one of the album highlights. Furthermore, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine labelled the track "adrenaline", while Spins James Hunter found that Björk delved into "the fuller, more womanly tone she unveiled on Post," and that the song "depicts one woman's emotional agenda in the presence of luxurious modern architecture: exaggerated corners, nonexistent ceilings, and beautiful doors."

David Browne of Entertainment Weekly also commented on "Jóga", writing that it was more "somber" than another single from Homogenic, "Bachelorette", and Björk sings the lyrics with "the strings swelling luxuriantly", whereas Neva Chonin of Rolling Stone found the singer's desire of a "state of emergency" "erotic", and one that comes across as her finding it "both delicious and dangerous". Robert Christgau, in his review for the album, placed it as one of the recommended tracks alongside "Bachelorette". British magazine Music Week rated it five out of five, picking it as Single of the Week. They described it as "a real beauty, with Björk's voice allowed to shine above spooky beats and lush strings."

In Slant Magazines list "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s", "Jóga" was placed at number 35; alongside the ranking, the track was praised, said to contain "one of the Icelandic singer-songwriter's fiercest vocal performances to date", as well as that the "sweeping string arrangement is its true star".

Commercial performance

"Jóga" was a commercial success in Björk's native Iceland, peaking atop the Íslenski Listinn Top 40 the week of 23–30 October 1997. However, the song managed to enter the chart months after its release, peaking at number 191 on the chart dated 28 February 1998.

The video for "Jóga" is a departure from her other videos as it features a simple concept of focusing primarily on different Icelandic terrains and landscapes with Björk's presence only in the beginning and towards the end. With the aid of computer animation, earthquakes begin to separate and shift the chunks of land along fault lines. The video ends with a computerised image of an island floating inside Björk's chest.

Track listing

Charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for "Jóga"

! scope="col"| Chart (1997–1998)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)

| 70

|-

! scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)

| 13

|-

! scope="row"| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)

| 16

|-

! scope="row"| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)

| 1

|-

! scope="row"| Netherlands (Single Top 100)

| 95

|-

! scope="row"| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)

| 43

|-

! scope="row"| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)

| 37

|-

! scope="row"| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)

| 49

|-

! scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC)

| 191

|-

! scope="row"| UK Airplay (Music Control)

| 100

|-

|}

Release history

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release dates and formats for "Jóga"

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Label(s)

! scope="col"|

|-

! scope="row"| United States

| rowspan="2" |15 September 1997

|Alternative radio

|Elektra Records

| align="center"|

|-

! scope="row" | Germany

| rowspan="2" | Maxi CD

| Mother

|

|-

! scope="row"| United Kingdom

| 27 September 1997

|

| One Little Indian

|

|}

Notes

References

  • List of "Jóga" releases
  • Jóga webpage