This past weekend, Rekjavik’s Nordic House held a karaoke marathon to support an environmentalist petition. Amidst what we assume were lots of warbled “Stairway to Heaven”s, one surprise participant stole the show: Björk! She sang Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” demonstrating once again that when she’s not too busy yelping or grunting, the woman has an excellent voice. She also dueted with Icelandic musician-turned-politician Ómar Ragnarsson on his 1965 single “Þrjú hjól undir bílnum.”
The ongoing environmental movement seeks to prevent the sale of HS Orka – a geothermal energy company that accounts for 9 percent of Iceland’s electricity production – to Canadian Firm Magma Energy. Björk began campaigning for the cause last year. “I’m hoping the nation and its government will decide to cancel this deal,” she told the Financial Times in June. “Then I can hopefully go back to writing music.” She even penned a list of questions to hold Iceland’s parliament accountable, which you can read on the petition’s website.
The video for “Love Will Tear Us Apart” is shaky, but fun. Check it out below, then go sign the petition.
Björk – Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division karaoke cover)
Sign the petition at Orkuaudlindir.is.
Joy Division.
Joy Division not The Smiths!
Man, I’m an idiot. I had just finished working on a massive Smiths posts and I guess I couldn’t think of anyone else! Thanks for the (embarrassingly obvious) correction.