Triumph of a Heart
Encyclopedia
"Triumph of a Heart" was the third single from Björk
's album Medúlla
. The hip-hop-influenced song features beatboxer Rahzel
from The Roots
, Gregory Purnhagen, and Japanese beatboxer, Dokaka
.
The making of the video is documented in a bonus feature that appears on The Medúlla Videos
DVD. The feature focuses on the auditions for the bar patrons who had to be able to make the noises and sound effects required for the song.
The single was released on 28 February 2005 in the UK, and peaked at #31.
The song was first performed live on April 20, 2008 at the Hammersmith Apollo
in London
. The live version features brass in the chorus.
, who also directed the videos for "It's Oh So Quiet
" and "It's in Our Hands
".
In the video, Björk tired of her husband, played by a housecat, storms out of the house for a night out on the town. She goes to a pub where she drinks and hangs out with some friends. Then, she goes to the restrooms and the song stops, and the locals (including Dokaka) start beatboxing and making noises. When Björk is back, she joins the crew for a special performance of the song recorded for the video with samples from the 'Audition mix' of the song. They go out of the pub and Björk runs through the town drunk, falling over at one point (according to the 'Making Of' segment included on the DVD, the fall was staged with a stunt double). Later, she wakes up on a road with scratches and bruises all over her body. She gets up and continues to sing the song, with hearts coming from her mouth. The cat-husband sees the hearts from his house and finds out Björk's location. He picks her up in his car and they go home. At home, the two share a kiss and dance as the song ends.
|- valign="top"
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{|class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Chart
!align="center"|Peak
position
|-
|align="left"|European Singles Chart
|align="center"|90
|-
|align="left"|French Singles Chart
|align="center"|63
|-
|align="left"|Spanish Singles Chart
|align="center"|6
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|31
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard European Hot 100 Singles
|align="center"|70
|-
|}
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's album Medúlla
Medúlla
Medúlla is the sixth studio album by Icelandic singer, songwriter, and musician Björk, released on August 30, 2004 by Warner Bros. Records and One Little Indian. The title derives from the Latin word for "marrow". The album is almost entirely a cappella and constructed with human vocals...
. The hip-hop-influenced song features beatboxer Rahzel
Rahzel
Rahzel M. Brown, also known as simply Rahzel, is an American musician and virtuoso beatboxer, formerly a member of The Roots.Nicknamed the "Godfather of Noyze," Rahzel is known for an ability to sing or rap while simultaneously beatboxing, as evidenced in his performances of "Iron Man" and his...
from The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Gregory Purnhagen, and Japanese beatboxer, Dokaka
Dokaka
Dokaka is a Japanese beatboxer who performs music solely by multitracking his own voice, generally with one instrument per track. He has distributed his recordings primarily as free downloads from his website; these include...
.
The making of the video is documented in a bonus feature that appears on The Medúlla Videos
The Medúlla Videos
The Medúlla Videos is an official DVD released by Björk on May 30, 2005. The DVD includes all of the videos from her fifth studio album, Medúlla. A total of five music videos are included, two of which are for songs which were not released as singles, and are exclusive to this DVD release...
DVD. The feature focuses on the auditions for the bar patrons who had to be able to make the noises and sound effects required for the song.
The single was released on 28 February 2005 in the UK, and peaked at #31.
The song was first performed live on April 20, 2008 at the Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The live version features brass in the chorus.
Music video
The video was directed by Spike JonzeSpike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
, who also directed the videos for "It's Oh So Quiet
It's Oh So Quiet
"It's Oh, So Quiet" is a song by American singer Betty Hutton, released in 1951 as the B-side to the single "Murder, He Says". It is a cover of the German song "Und Jetzt ist es Still", performed by Horst Winter in 1948, written by Austrian composer Hans Lang and Erich Meder...
" and "It's in Our Hands
It's in Our Hands
"It's in Our Hands" was a single released along with Björk's Greatest Hits CD in late 2002. The song was previously heard during her Vespertine Tour in 2001. The song relies heavily on a sample taken from To Rococo Rot's song Die Dinge Des Lebens from the album The Amateur View...
".
In the video, Björk tired of her husband, played by a housecat, storms out of the house for a night out on the town. She goes to a pub where she drinks and hangs out with some friends. Then, she goes to the restrooms and the song stops, and the locals (including Dokaka) start beatboxing and making noises. When Björk is back, she joins the crew for a special performance of the song recorded for the video with samples from the 'Audition mix' of the song. They go out of the pub and Björk runs through the town drunk, falling over at one point (according to the 'Making Of' segment included on the DVD, the fall was staged with a stunt double). Later, she wakes up on a road with scratches and bruises all over her body. She gets up and continues to sing the song, with hearts coming from her mouth. The cat-husband sees the hearts from his house and finds out Björk's location. He picks her up in his car and they go home. At home, the two share a kiss and dance as the song ends.
UK CD1
- Triumph of a Heart (Radio Edit)
- Desired Constellation (Ben FrostBen FrostBen Frost may refer to:* Ben Frost , Australian-born composer* Ben Frost , Australian-born performance and visual artist...
's School of Emotional Engineering Mix)
UK CD2
- Triumph of a Heart (Audition Mix)
- Vökuró (GonzalesGonzales (musician)Gonzales, , is a Grammy-nominated Canadian musician currently residing in Paris, France. Though best known for his first MC and electro albums, he is also a pianist, producer, and songwriter....
Mix) - Mouth's Cradle (Recomposed by Ensemble)
EU EP CD
- Triumph of a Heart (Audition Mix)
- Vökuró (GonzalesGonzales (musician)Gonzales, , is a Grammy-nominated Canadian musician currently residing in Paris, France. Though best known for his first MC and electro albums, he is also a pianist, producer, and songwriter....
Mix) - Mouth's Cradle (Recomposed by Ensemble)
- Desired Constellation (Ben Frost's School of Emotional Engineering Mix)
- Triumph of a Heart (Radio Edit)
Remixes
- Radio Edit - 03:00
- Audition Mix - 04:17
- Video Version - 05:28
- Do Do Mix (Matmos Mix, digital only) - 3:31
- Medúlla Medley Version (France CD-R Promo) - 0:54
- Valgeir SigurðssonValgeir SigurðssonValgeir Sigurðsson is an Icelandic record producer, mixer, composer, engineer and musician.-Biography:Coming from a musical background Valgeir's fascination with recording technology lead to a job in a small recording studio at the age of 16. He studied classical guitar and graduated with a...
Mix (Available on Björk's MySpace for a short time) - 03:40 - Ensemble Mix (Unreleased)
Charts
{| width="0%"|- valign="top"
| width="25%" |
{|class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Chart
!align="center"|Peak
position
|-
|align="left"|European Singles Chart
|align="center"|90
|-
|align="left"|French Singles Chart
|align="center"|63
|-
|align="left"|Spanish Singles Chart
|align="center"|6
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|align="center"|31
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard European Hot 100 Singles
|align="center"|70
|-
|}