How Kate Bush inspired Björk: “She’s one of my heroes”
When Kate Bush initially gained recognition, the predominantly white and male audience of her era didn’t know what to make of her. She faced rejection, became labelled an ‘eccentric’, and was perceived as an outlier in terms of established gender norms. Her very existence was seen as a challenge, partly due to the fact that many secretly enjoyed her music while being hesitant to admit it, but mainly because a woman breaking boundaries wasn’t as readily celebrated as her male counterparts who defied gender expectations, like David Bowie. Instead, she was often labelled as ‘odd’. In a bad way.
The reason why society has progressed enough to accept her and acknowledge her sheer artistry is clear: as Björk puts it, “one good thing about feminism nowadays is that she is not a threat at all.” Fortunately, the current music landscape has evolved to embrace women as trailblazers and innovators in the industry. Today, being a fan of Bush is regarded as ‘cool’, a stark contrast to the disapproving or puzzled expressions often met by music audiences during the 1970s, 1980s, and beyond.
Björk’s opinion towards Bush is well-documented, going beyond just condemning the overt sexism and misogyny that the singer faced to highlighting her remarkable talent as an artist in her own right. To Björk, Bush’s influence extends to every facet of her musical style, from specific arrangements to the overarching belief that a woman’s uniqueness in the music industry is a source of strength rather than a vulnerability.
Throughout much of Björk’s work, there’s a strong presence of Kate Bush, which is no surprise considering that Bjork has called Bush “one of my heroes”. She also explains: “[Bush is] one of the biggest pioneering producers. Everybody just says, ‘Oh, she’s just a singer. She’s just a chick’. But they forget all the other work she’s done, that woman. She’s very, very, very gorgeous.”
Vocally, Björk seems to derive inspiration from Bush’s The Dreaming, with a touch of The Kick Inside. Bush’s innovative, experimental layers in the former have left an unquestionable mark on some of Björk’s most celebrated songs and albums. Therefore, while both artists are known for pushing boundaries and creating unconventional music, it’s impossible to overlook Bush’s influence on Björk, particularly in the context of groundbreaking creativity.
However, this isn’t to suggest that Björk’s success is solely attributed to artists like Bush, but without the pioneering work of such artists, it would be difficult to imagine the music industry reaching a point where the talent of female artists is so openly accepted and celebrated. The two artists have established their own rightful imprints on the industry while remaining fundamentally unique.
On one hand, there’s Bush, the classically trained artist who transitioned from a dance student to an intellectual pop sensation. And on the other, there’s Björk, a highly futuristic genre-blender who seamlessly incorporates various musical elements. Both have also become significant game-changers when it comes to women leading the way.
For instance, Bush is the first woman to achieve a solo number one hit in the UK with a self-written and self-performed song. Her single ‘Wuthering Heights’ reached the top of the charts in 1978, and ‘Running Up That Hill’ repeated the feat in 2022. Although we still have a long way to go before women receive the same level of acclaim as their male counterparts, figures like Björk and Bush continue to make important paths to establishing long-overdue credibility.
