A rather strange music video - a review of 'Declare Independence'.

What did I actually just watch? This was the immediate thought that came to mind after ‘experiencing’ Bjork for the first time. Many of us in the room were left baffled, and not to mention unsettled, by the strangely spectacular show we had just endured.  It seemed to be an inside glimpse into the mind of a madman, with all the gigantic cats and lesbian robots one would expect to find in such a place.

Before condemning her to the asylum, however, I took a step back and tried to just think about it for a moment... and still had no idea what was going on. But, one video did strike my interest - ‘Declare Independence’, a song about, well, declaring independence. Or is it?

The four-minute video, directed by Chris Cunningham, features a series of white strings running through a system of machinery (including a man playing those strings like a guitar,) before winding their way through a megaphone that Bjork herself holds, and finally branching off to a dozen or so soldiers seemingly entranced by Bjork’s words.

However bizarre it may seem, the music video can in fact be tied to real life . The strings, in my mind, represent lines of communication, being strung by the guitarist behind the scenes in order to control the ‘music’ that Bjork delivers to the soldiers. Bjork plays the role of charismatic leader, acting as a face through which the 'music' can be delivered... and the soldiers represent the mob mentality, indoctrinated and brainwashed into following Bjork.

The machinery through which the strings are delivered spray the white strings with certain colours, beginning with red, then blue, then deteriorating into a multicoloured mess. These different colours may represent the various emotions that are relayed towards the mob, taking them on an emotional ride in order to control them. This would be emotional manipulation by Bjork and the guitar player, whom by feeding the mob these emotions, make them bend to their will.

So, what does this all mean? To me it seems the whole thing is a paradox. Bjork is telling her listeners to declare independence, but at the same time they follow her every move. When she starts tapping her foot they start jumping. When she tells them to raise the flag they do so. It's like she's telling them what they want to hear – that they should set themselves free, but the true irony is that they are in fact being played. Played by the guitarist, whom controls the lines of communication that attach to their helmets. He is both literally and figuratively playing them. 

This mirrors the structure and organisation of real-life dictatorships. For example, Hitler is known for his emotional, inspiring speeches in which he took advantage of the people’s hate and hardship that resulted from the devastating economic and political turmoil that gripped post-WW1 Germany. He gave them someone to blame, and promised revenge and the resurgence of a 'glorious' German nation once more. In essence, he played them in order to gain power. The same thing can be seen across history, with figures like Napoleon uniting a nation through extensive propaganda and tales of military genius.

What can we learn from this? That politicians emotionally exploit people to further their own ends. Well, yeah, it's part of the job description, but what's really being said here? Perhaps Cunningham is trying to make us more aware, by literally showing it right in front of us, of manipulation so that next time we might think twice before blindly following the orders of a seemingly charismatic leader whom pretends they have our best interests in mind.

On the other hand, Bjork’s music is so strange and fantastical that nobody can really know or say what it means. What can be said is that her dark and unsettling style is certainly iconic, and whatever you read into it, you’ll either be left pondering the reasons for human existence or forget about it completely and go spend your time doing something a deal less odd. That’s art, I guess!