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The day Rosalía and Björk joined forces
The avant-garde singers Björk and Rosalía, who are both releasing new albums in 2025, joined forces two years ago on the song Oral. The track was released with a powerful music video directed by Spanish photographer and filmmaker Carlota Guerrero that rekindled our faith in humanity. Their collaboration was both committed and artistic. Oral was a strong criticism of intensive salmon farming in Iceland. As the two artists are preparing their reunion on the Spanish singer’s upcoming album Lux, scheduled for November, let’s revisit this duet.
By Violaine Schütz,
and Nathan Merchadier.
It is the type of collaboration every music lover secretly dreams of. The audacious and brilliant singers Björk and Rosalía are collaborating once again on Berghain. This single will be featured on the Spanish artist’s upcoming album, Lux, set for release on November 7th, 2025. But it won’t be their first time working together. Two years ago, they had already joined forced for a good cause. With the track Oral (2023), the two singers denounced intensive industrial salmon farming.
Oral, Björk and Rosalía’s committed collaboration
In a statement, Icelandic artist Björk explained that residents of the village of Seyðisfjörður in her home country were opposed to the introduction of fish farms in the fjords. That practice is a disaster for local wildlife and ecosystems. She noted: “When Icelandic and Norwegian businessmen started buying fish farms in the majority of our fjords, it was a big shock and rose up as the main topic this summer. We don’t understand how they had been able to do this for a decade with almost no regulations stopping them.” The singers therefore decided to “donate the sales of the song to help with the villagers’ legal fees.”
The meeting of two fearless artists
The track Oral (2023) was well-received by fans of both artists, but turns out it wasn’t composed recently. Björk told The Guardian that she rediscovered that song she originally recorded more than twenty years ago, between her albums Homogenic (1997) and Vespertine (2001). By inviting Rosalía to collaborate on it, she hoped to “update” a track with a powerful environmental message.
Produced by Irish-Scottish musician Sega Bodega (known for his work with Shygirl, Charli xcx, and French artist Oklou), Oral blends the universes of the two singer beautifully – Björk’s mystical, lyrical world and Rosalía’s modernist Spanish pop. Far less experimental than Björk’s latest releases, the song sees her return to a softer, more pop-oriented sound.
Björk and Rosalía play samurais for Maison Margiela and Acne Studios
Another highlight is its music video. Directed by Spanish photographer and filmmaker Carlota Guerrero, the poetic clip features avatars of the two singers. Rosalía wears a skirt by Maison Margiela, while Björk appears in dress by Acne Studios, moving through an ethereal, futuristic, and minimalist setting that borders on the celestial. But don’t be fooled by the purity of the setting… The two artists engage in a martial arts duel with Japanese swords.
Multiplying aerial moves reminiscent of samurai films, they appear powerful and combative, ready to defend their beliefs and fight for animal protection. As the film director explained on her Instagram account, the sequence is more of a joint training session to fight a common enemy than a confrontation between the two artists.
Oral (2023) by Björk and Rosalía, available now. Cornucopia Live (2025), available now. Lux by Rosalía, coming out on November 7th, 2025.
