Björk
All Is Full of Love

Introduction.

I generally do not like writing reviews by inserting sentimentality, morals, and poetic verses. I believe that to convey something to those who are interested in what I write, inserting too many points of view and too many personal emotions takes away that aura of magic that encourages assimilating the music.

I know that Debaser is a site where opinions and sensations are expressed, and not the chair of a psychologist. However, certain music that gets into my veins is the only psychologist I can afford, and therefore I apologize in advance if my writing will seem tedious and excessively sentimental.

Having said this, I would like to introduce the "review" by attempting to show my personal vision of the piece.

I don't like categorizing works into different genres; in the end, I also find that it's pointless. Listening to just one type of music is like having only one friend. Sometimes it's better to have one trusty one than too many, true, but we must consider that having only one, you will only hear one point of view, one opinion, and one way of thinking.

However, I believe that songs are divided into two large, enormous families:

Those that describe an emotion and those that are an emotion.

Teardrop by Massive Attack is an emotion; everything in its place, it pushes a mood into your brain, in fact, it doesn't just describe, it is.

Another case, to me, is this song.

There are foreign terms untranslatable in our language that refer to particular sensations that unfortunately, we are unable to explain to each other, unless by articulating sentences and transmitting proverbs. For example, the Yaghan use the word Mamihlapinatapei to describe the longing look between two people too shy to take the first step of the approach. The Swedes use the term Resfeber to indicate the unhealthy anxiety you feel before a journey.

There are truly hundreds, and not a single one manages to describe what All Is Full Of Love transmits to me.

The decision to release the single in 1999 (the album Homogenic came out two years earlier) was dictated by Björk's desire to make the project more artistic and less commercial. The very famous video in which two androids, in a sterile and cold scenario, unite in a love scene perfectly adheres to the character of the song.

You will be given love, you'll be taken care of.

You will be given love, you have to hope.

Maybe not from the sources where you have poured yours, maybe not from the directions you are looking.

All is full of love (you haven't received it),

all is full of love (your phone is off),

all is full of love (your doors are closed).

An apparently simple text, but actually too many words and too much symbolism would have created magic for its own sake. Not like what resulted. Obviously, I am referring to the "video version" of the single also included in the Greatest Hits. Superior in beauty to the one on the album, in my opinion.

The arrangement with its oriental aftertaste is the lens that determines the perceived colors.

I hadn't listened to it for years, and the moment it happened again, it reminded me of what I felt about six years ago, making me recall situations (internal and external) and causing me a sort of pain. The pain mentioned some time ago, that makes you love. I really can't find the right words to describe the mix of sensations that some notes bring back to the surface. Coldness, tenderness, fear.

Since then, many fears have manifested, many emotions have been born, others have died.

It may seem trivial, but I think that as much as an individual can change their skin, and as much as the ocean of time can show its depth, certain sounds and certain places should always be kept with oneself, to not forget who you have in front of the mirror.