Declare Independence

As well as being slightly eccentric - and packing an awesome left hook - Björk is an artist who has never been afraid to experiment. "Declare Independence" is not really a song, more of an intense rhythmic chant; the words, such as they are, are spoken. When she performed it live on BBC TV's Later program she told presenter Jools Holland that she wanted to write a rave track but it turned out to be a call for the Faroe Islands to fight for their independence. She wasn't sure how this came about. The Faroes are an 18 island archipelago under Danish autonomy. In 2003, they had an estimated population of less than 50,000, which makes their existence as a totally independent state somewhat suspect, although there has been an independence movement of sorts.

In March 2008, Bjork's chant took on an entirely different meaning. After performing it in Shangai she shouted "Tibet, Tibet" - an obvious reference to the ongoing Chinese occupation of that country - previously she had made similar comments about Kosovo. In China, the Ministry of Culture responded to her outburst with the claim that she had broken Chinese law and insulted its people. This led the Chinese government to ban entertainers who "threaten their sovereignty."

"Declare Independence" was co-written by the electronic music producer Mark Bell.