Bjork surprised the world earlier this week with the sudden digital release of her album Vulnicura two months ahead of the original date.
Billboard talked with Derek Birkett, the the head of the singer’s label One Little Indian, about the situation leading up to the release and the impact it has had on their relationship with retailers throughout the industry.
Bjork first heard that the full album had leaked via fans and turned to Birkett for direction. Derek contacted others in the industry who had been in a similar situation and suggested that she take the Madonna route, releasing a few tracks with the pre-order of the album; however, Bjork wanted to keep the album as a cohesive piece.
The decision led to an uproar from many of the label’s retail partners who were upset that the advanced digital release would cannibalize the CD and vinyl sales. The retailer Rough Trade threatened to cut off all support of Bjork as an artist and Amazon initially agreed to make the album available for download to those that already pre-ordered but pulled out after the iTunes exclusive became public knowledge. They have since changed their stance.
Birkett summed it up by saying “It had a massive, massive impact on us.”
