Icelandic siren Björk has released the first single from her latest album, Vulnicura, and in typical Björk fashion, it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. “Stonemilker” was filmed with a panoramic camera that allows the viewer to see in all directions, meaning that, while Björk is singing to the camera, the viewer can turn away to see the view behind, above, or below. The video debuted as part of the singer’s MoMA exhibit, where it could be viewed via a VR headset. But the version released this week can be seen on YouTube, complete with omnidirectional scrolling, a feature that now you know YouTube could accommodate.
What’s most striking about the technology is how little use the video makes of it. It’s as bleak and sparse as the raw, emotional song it represents, with Björk alone on a rocky, windswept beach, pouring her heart out to the camera. The view in other directions is nearly always a bleak, empty landscape and a grey sky. But it’s fun to imagine the inventive videos that will follow this one. It’s a brave new world, and it’s already got a soundtrack.