At some point between 1997’s Homogenic and 2001’s Vespertine, Björk wrote and recorded “Oral,” a sweeping pop song about the fantastical possibilities of meeting someone new. Deciding it didn’t fit with what she was working on at the time, she shelved it and promptly lost it among her archives. Newly rescued, this updated version features co-production from Sega Bodega and vocals from Rosalía. Pairing misty-eyed strings with syncopated rhythms inspired by ’90s dancehall, the song has an air of youthful exuberance; the lyrics ooze self-consciousness, but also unbridled optimism. When Björk sings “Let me introduce one to the other/The dream and the real, get them acquainted,“ it’s not hard to connect the song’s aspirational spirit to the cause that it supports: saving Iceland’s fjords from the destructive practices of factory fish farming. In that sense, “Oral” is a time-traveling vessel, reaching for wide-eyed hope as it looks toward the future.
