One of music’s most innovative performers has today revealed that she very nearly had to curtail her inventive and unique career, with maverick mistress Björk revealing that she has overcome a health scare.
Currently enjoying this month’s release of her remix album Bastards, the Icelandic performer took to her social media overnight with a frank open letter to her “dear friends”, revealing that she’d recently undergone surgery on her vocal cords as a result of developing polyps from her years of singing.
Polyps are diagnosed as swelling growths, or blister-like lesions that develop on the vocal cords, clearly a major problem for singers, particularly those as elastic and distinctive as Björk.
Writing to her fans, the performer reveals:
“[a] few years ago doctors found a vocal polyp on me cords… I decided to go the natural way and for 4 years did stretches and tackled it with different foods and what not. Then they discovered better technology and I got tempted into hi tech lazer stuff and I have to say, in my case anyway: surgery rocks!”
Admitting she’d kept her condition quiet until she was in the all-clear medically. “I stayed quiet for 3 weeks and then started singing and definitely feel like my cords are as good as pre nodule! It´s been very satisfying to sing all them clear notes again,” enthuses the singer. “I got tempted into hi tech lazer stuff and I have to say, in my case anyway: surgery rocks!”
Additionally, Björk apologised to fans for how her condition affected her touring schedule. Earlier in April, she began a residency at Buenos Aires for her latest studio album, 2011’s Biophilia, but was forced to cancel the final two dates of the tour when the nodules were discovered on her vocal cords.
Medical advice from doctors forced her to also can a string of headlining sets in Spain and Portugal due to ongoing problems.
In today’s open letter, she writes: “I’m sorry I had to cancel stuff earlier in the year, didn’t want to talk about this until i knew for sure if it would work. So looking forward to singing for you in 2013. All the warmth, björk.”
Fans can now breathe a sigh of relief that the one-of-a-kind musician is now fully recovered, but despite her health scare, it hasn’t stopped her from continuing with her restlessly creative output.
Her latest release is this month’s Bastards, a collection of remixes of cuts from Biophilia, compiling re-worked tunes from the likes of record-label baiters Death Grips, forthcoming Meredith act Omar Souleyman, and wonky beatmaster Hudson Mohawke.
Listen to Matthew Herbert’s ‘Pins and Needles mix’ of Björk’s “Virus” below:
