Björk has called out journalists (and singled out Pitchfork) for spreading misinformation about credits for her albums. According to a post on her website, the Icelandic singer had been reading in various press sources, including the English-language newspaper The Reykjavik Grapevine, that composer and producer Valgeir Sigurðsson had written the entirety of her 2001 album Vespertine. Björk not only discredited this rumor by offering the Vespertine credits, but turned her correction into a slammin' attack on rockism in music reporting.
After an initial explanation that Sigurðsson's role was strictly as a programmer and engineer for two-thirds of the album, Björk launched into an enumeration of ideas about what may have caused the confusion. The four reasons that Björk suggested might have prompted the error included the fact that the "pop critics of this world have not totally yet worked out the difference between engineering, programming, writing, and producing electronic music." Unlike a rock recording session with a strict division between those playing instruments on one hand and engineers and producers on the other, "visually this appears very similar: a man/woman sitting in front of a computer."
Björk also discusses the role of sexism in the misreporting, comparing her situation to that of M.I.A., who confronted Pitchfork in an interview last year over similar issues of sexist reporting regarding Diplo's role in her music. Pitchfork, in the wake of Björk's reference to the M.I.A. issue, have denied that they ever credited Diplo with M.I.A.'s albums.
Björk's other two (far less incendiary) points include that critics have probably not read the album credits very thoroughly for albums that they may be reviewing or reporting on. She also notes that the misconception has had such a long life because neither her nor Sigurðsson ever publicly denied it. Björk also dispelled rumors that contemporary classical wunderkind Nico Muhly has written arrangements for her. Once more, all together now: "This is not true. Journalists: please read the creditlist before you write your articles." Done and done, Ms. Guðmundsdóttir.
