"Unravel" is the third song on the albumHomogenic by Björk, which was released in 1997. The song features a prominent example of Björk's use of a half-singing, half-speaking technique which, according to folklore specialist Njall Sigurason, is comparable to that of Old Icelandic choirmen. Structurally, the song is made up of a slowly sweeping melody, saxophones, a church organ, and distant-sounding electronic beats. Thematically, the song describes two faraway lovers. One of the lovers realizes that the love between the two of them is unraveling because of factors out of their control. The lover, Björk, seeks to reunite with her lover to rebuild the love lost.
Music video
Even though "Unravel" was not released as a single, a music video was made by Lynn Fox to promote Björk's Greatest Hits Tour. The video won a silver prize at the 2004 D&AD Awards, an event recognizing annual achievements in design and advertising. The video itself depicts Björk in a deep sea-like environment, wearing a billowing dress as a large and furry unidentified sea creature grows out of her back in a strings-like manner.
Other artists
In a 2006 interview with Spin magazine, Radiohead singer Thom Yorke named "Unravel" as his favourite song ever, and said, "I'm trying to get Radiohead to do a cover because I think it's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard." On November 8, 2007, Yorke performed a cover of the song as part of Radiohead's "Thumbs Down" webcast. A snippet of the song is also occasionally performed live as an intro to Everything in Its Right Place. A cover of "Unravel" appears on folk rock artist Okkervil River's split CDSham Wedding/Hoax Funeral, as well as the Japanese import version of alternative rock band Something Corporate's album North. The Flaming Lips and Midlake added the song to their albums and respectively, which is a compilation of artists and songs that have affected and influenced the bands. Anthony Green and Casey Crescenzo performed an acoustic cover of "Unravel" as a part of a 2007 tour featuring Circa Survive and The Dear Hunter. Portuguese guitarist Norberto Lobo recorded a cover of "Unravel" for his 2009 album Pata Lenta. The Swingle Singers recorded an a cappella arrangement of "Unravel" for their 2009 album Ferris Wheels. Adem recorded a cover for his album Takes which contained only covers of songs by other artists. recorded a cover as a bonus track for their album North. It was released exclusively on the Japanese version of the album. Brazilian singer Alice Caymmi released a cover version of the song on her 2012 debut album. Florida sludge metal group Ether Coven covered the song on their 2020 album Everything is Temporary Except Suffering.
