Icelandic singer and songwriter Björk accepts cryptocurrencies for her ninth studio album, Utopia. Starting with November 24, fans will be able to pick up the new Björk album using one of four cryptocurrencies: bitcoin, litecoin, dash, or audiocoin. Buyers will be rewarded with 100 audiocoins.
For those familiar with Björk’s eclectic, avant-garde style, it might come as no surprise that the Icelandic singer and songwriter is the first major artist to embrace cryptocurrency. We would expect nothing less from the artist who urged us to “start our own currency” in the 2007 “Declare Independence” song.
Björk is known for exploring uncharted areas, indulging her every whim and connecting art, nature, science, and technology throughout her work, with no regard for the constraints of music genres.
Following her previous iPad-app album and a string of spectacular VR videos and concerts using 3D-printed props and costumes, Björk is continuing to enhance her creative universe by opening up to the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
“I think it’s important at any given time to re-evaluate what is relevant and not relevant, and maybe cross-connect those to create a new form that is relevant to the world we live in,” Björk told LA Times.
Björk’s label, One Little Indian, has partnered up with UK-based B2B blockchain solutions company Blockpool to develop cryptocurrency checkout and reward functions for customers of the Björk store, as part of the Utopia album release.
Björk fans will soon be able to purchase her new album using one of four cryptocurrencies: bitcoin, litecoin, dash, or audiocoin (ADC). Buyers will be entitled to a reward of 100 audiocoins. ADC is a little-known decentralized music currency, with a market capitalization of $3.2 million USD and a current value estimated at $0.004 USD.
“This really isn’t a marketing strategy with Björk. This is a decision to be a leader. In fact, it’s just the obvious thing to do for her. If I wasn’t involved in this project, I’d expect Björk to be a leader in this area, and for her team to be doing creative things with crypto,” CEO of Blockpool, Kevin Bacon, said.
“This isn’t about jumping on a bandwagon or trying to get rich quick. It’s about doing things where you use blockchain and the crypto benefits in ways that people haven’t thought of yet,” Bacon stated.
Björk started working on Utopia in 2015, immediately after releasing Vulnicura. According to the artist, the album grapples with her own personal, political and environmental concerns.
Björk accepts cryptocurrencies for her ninth studio album, Utopia – Image source: shop.bjork.com